


Follow You into the Dark

by DarthBaker23



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Actor Kylo Ren, Alternate Universe - Zombie Apocalypse, Blood and Violence, Death, Dry Humping, Eventual Smut, F/M, Fluff and Smut, Gore, Gun Violence, Happy Ending, Implied/Referenced Rape/Non-con, Loss of Limbs, Minor Character Death, Near Death, Oral Sex, Rey Needs A Hug, Rey rescues Kylo, Slow Burn Rey/Kylo Ren, Strong Female Characters, Threats of Rape/Non-Con, Vaginal Sex, Zombie Children, Zombie fighting is bloody, ben solo is famous, rey is lonely
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-08
Updated: 2020-11-09
Packaged: 2021-03-08 04:20:01
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 16
Words: 42,958
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26889514
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DarthBaker23/pseuds/DarthBaker23
Summary: When the Zombie outbreak hits, Rey was all alone. She lost everyone she ever loved. Two years later, she breaks her #1 rule of self-isolation. She rescues a man near death, only to find out it's the famous, Hollywood hunk Kylo Ren, aka Ben Solo. Except this man is battered and broken. Is Rey willing to let down her walls in order to help him become whole again? Will Ben prove to Rey that he's here to stay and can be trusted? They will both have to trust one another to survive this dangerous, new world together.
Relationships: Kylo Ren & Rey, Kylo Ren/Rey, Rey & Ben Solo, Rey/Ben Solo, Rey/Ben Solo | Kylo Ren
Comments: 127
Kudos: 292





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> TW: Please mind the tags. If there's tag you believe I need to add, please let me know. Thanks and enjoy!

**Chapter 1**

It’s been almost two years since she’s seen another human being. That’s probably what drove Rey to the point of desperation. There she was, zipping her golfcart up and down the streets right before sunset listening again for that plea for help. She knew she had heard someone shouting for help yesterday while she was scavenging houses for food. It’s what brought her back there the next day. She broke her rule to never scavenge the same place two days in a row. It drew too much attention. It brought unwanted company: drifters or the undead.

That being said, technically she _has_ seen a human in the last two years. Except that said human was undead. Yes, undead, as in they were bitten and came back to life as a walking ghoul trying to rip apart anything alive they can sink their teeth into. Yeah, that kind of undead. Rey had been surviving surprisingly well up until now. Some might even say flourishing, if anyone was alive to give her such a compliment. Oh, there were other survivors too. None of which Rey wanted anything to do with. She had a few run-ins with people claiming to be friendly and others not-so friendly. Rey had been in the back office of her little hardware store when the virus hit her small town about an hour east of Sacramento. Earlier that week, news broke of a zombie-like virus hitting the East Coast and sweeping across the country. People in her town were preparing, but it hit before anyone could even get a good night’s sleep. It was hard to believe how serious this virus was until Rey saw it with her own eyes.

From her office window, she noticed people outside running suddenly by the store. That was unusual for her little sleepy little town, so she knew something was wrong immediately. She went to lock up her now empty store just before a group of men shoved inside right passed her. Rey bit her tongue, figuring they were looking for safety. After locking the door, she quickly made her way behind the front counter, which at least gave her a barrier between them. That’s when she noticed them whispering at the back of the store as they avoided eye contact with her. Rey had a gut feeling that they were up to no good. She reached under the cash register and let her hand rest on her shotgun while flicking the safety off.

“Okay guys, as much as I like your company, you have to go,” Rey spoke loud enough for them to hear her in the back.

They turned to face her and started walking to the front of the store. They spread out slightly like they were about to trap a wild animal. 

“Or...why don’t we have a little fun first,” The man in the middle said with a sly grin on his face. _Fuck._ Rey’s stomach dropped. She had never used her shotgun before, but there was a first time for everything. Without hesitation, she pulled her shotgun out from beneath the counter and hoisted it up, pointing the barrel in their direction. Her hands shook as she aimed the barrel at man who talked first.

“I said go, now!” she shouted and held her gun steady. They all stopped and took a small step back.

“Awe, girl. We all know you ain’t gonna shoot that g-” Rey cuts him off with a loud bang. She aimed her gun right next to his foot and pulled the trigger. The guy screams in agony as the buckshot peppers his foot and leg. The other men stare in shock at their friend.

“I said get the fuck out, now! I won’t say it again,” Rey tells them firmly. They scurry to pick up their maimed friend and quickly leave out the front door.

~~~~~~~~~~~

That had been Rey’s first and immediate experience with people after the outbreak hit. Needless to say, she wasn’t too excited to repeat that experience. Since then, she had been robbed twice and almost raped while scavenging for food. Her machete and pistol had been her saving grace on many occasions and often deterred people from coming near her. Rey usually had an accurate gut-feeling when it came to first impressions. She had met a few individuals who weren’t bad, but there was no reason for them to stay together. While she mourned the loss of her loved ones, she wasn’t willing to risk her life to make a new friend. Rey felt safer on her own.

As one year passed, Rey found peace in her solitude. While people were picked off by the undead, Rey managed to build a little safe haven in her small home. The undead were least active during the day under the hot sun, so that’s when Rey did all of her work. She scavenged by picking through abandoned houses and stores looking for food. Eventually, she grew tired of all the canned goods and planted a crop in her small backyard. She didn’t have much land, but what land she did have was surrounded by a 6ft fence, allowing her some protection. She also took over the neighbor’s yard to acquire goats and chickens. It was risky having animals because they could be noisy and draw attention, but she was sick of just surviving. She wanted to live. That’s why she put the livestock in the neighbor’s fenced yard, furthest away from her home.

The weeks ticked by and Rey’s crops grew. Her hard work had finally paid off. She still scavenged for nonperishable foods, but it was nice to finally have some fresh produce. She still made several runs a week looking for food, but the rest of her time she spent fortifying her home. She acquired an abandoned golfcart for transport. It was perfect for its quietness and squeezing into tight places. She could speed through town without being heard. She made runs to her own hardware store to gather materials. She worked nonstop on her home. Her fence was taller, her windows had shutters, and her doors were reinforced. She even covered her roof in solar panels to allow her some power.

At the end of the day when she collapsed in her bed, she let her guard down. She would cry softly into her blankets as the loneliness and the weight of the world pushed down on her. She would think about her foster mom, Maz, who lived in Florida. That was one of the first states hit by the outbreak. She knew there was little chance she survived. She thought about her friends here in town, Finn, Rose, and Kaydel. None of them made it. Then, she thought about her fiancé, Poe. The thought of him left her feeling nauseous. Not only was he dead, but Rey had been the one to kill him. After she left her store that first day, she went straight to his home to check on him. His door was ajar, and she heard a moaning growl from inside. She palmed her machete that she had brought from the store and slowly entered the home. When she yelled out for Poe, there was an immediate shuffling of footsteps and growling noises coming toward her. When he came into view, Rey could tell right away something wasn’t right. It was Poe, except it wasn’t really _her_ Poe.

“Poe, Poe, Poe!” she yelled at him to stop him from charging at her. It didn’t work.

He lunged at her throat with his hands and teeth. She kicked him in the chest, sending him tumbling back before he could reach her. His eyes were cloudy white with blood leaking down the sides. There was a garish bite on his neck oozing pus, while his skin was grey and looked paper thin. Tears slid down Rey’s face as she raised the machete high above her arms. She had no choice but to kill him or else he would keep attacking her. She closed her eyes and swung her machete.

Though she loved Poe dearly, she thought about him less and less because her mind always brought her back to his last horrible moments. 

The faint sound of a shout for help shakes Rey from her memories. She slams on the brakes to get a better listen.

“Help!”

She hears it again but fainter this time. Whoever the person was, they were probably exhausted from shouting. Rey narrows the location down to four houses at the end of the street. Parking her golfcart for a quick escape, she grabs her handy machete and holsters her pistol.

The first house is a bust. It has clearly been abandoned, and the kitchen is bare, void of any food. The second house is another bust. The house is empty except for two corpses, which Rey quickly avoids. When she makes her way to the third house, she eyes the sun getting closer to the horizon. Now is not a good time to be caught outside. The undead would be wandering the streets soon. Some could be out already, and the person shouting for help would be drawing attention. The undead were mostly dormant during the day unless they smelled a person, fresh blood, or heard loud noises, like gunshots. But at night the undead actively roamed and hunted in the streets. They would start coming out soon, and Rey did not want them following her back to her house. This would have to be her last house today. She would sweep it quickly and race back to her small home across town.

Upon approaching the third home, she quietly steps over the unhinged door leaning against the frame. All is quiet except for a repeating dull tapping noise coming from somewhere within the house. Her hackles immediately rise, and she grips her machete tighter in preparation. Quietly but quickly, she searches the house, finding no signs of life. When she reaches the living room, it’s covered in blood. It looks like the aftermath of an attack, and not very long ago; a few days to a week.

The tapping sound is louder now but still muted, like it’s coming from another room. She already checked all the open rooms, except for one closed door in the hallway. As she approaches the closed door, she can tell the noise is louder. Preparing to swing her machete, she opens the door slowly. Miraculously, the door doesn’t squeak, which allows her to enter silently. She draws to a halt when she sees a staircase going down into a basement. She can see the faint glow of a dim light at the bottom of the staircase.

The longer she waits, the more daylight she wastes. Taking a silent, deep breath, she starts gently stepping down the stairs. Her eyes are alert, seeking any signs of movement. Rey knows the noise was coming from this basement, so she’s fully prepared for an attack. This wasn’t her first rodeo. As she reaches the bottom step, her senses are assaulted by several things. She immediately pinpoints the tapping sound is coming from around the back of the staircase out of her view. Her eyes scan the rest of the room quickly. She sees a large bloody spot to the left of the basement indicating another attack. At the center of the basement, there is shelving with stored supplies and food. She makes note of this for a future trip. As she scans farther in the dim light, all thoughts of food are forgotten. 

_Are those prison bars_? She scans over the right corner of the basement and can only determine that it’s some type of holding cell...like a cage. Was there undead in there? She searches swiftly through the cracks of the bars looking for any signs of life. The bars are dirty and bloody looking. It’s hard to see anything past the bars in the dim light. Her eyes pass over the cell again and halt in shock. She sees the briefest shine of someone’s eyes as they blink open slowly. Someone was laying on the floor in the cell, and whoever they were, they were _not_ okay.

She steps off the final step into the basement and cringes when she steps on an empty candy wrapper. Immediately the thudding noise stops, and she hears the shifting of feet. She turns to her left to prepare for the attack of what she knows is coming. Suddenly, an undead reveals itself around the corner sprinting directly for her. It’s a man of medium build, but she knows it has eaten recently based on its speed. They were stronger and faster when they fed more recently. This would take more effort from Rey if she was going to survive. As it approaches her at top speed, she clenches her machete tightly in her hands. With one swift swing, Rey slices it across its neck. It falls to the ground with blood gushing from its neck. It’s wounded severely, but it would take more than that to kill an undead. She doesn’t hesitate to approach the zombie and make the final blow. She raises her arms high above her head and brings the machete down with three heavy swings to its head. It’s skull cracks open on the first swing, and she punctures the brain on the second two, effectively killing the zombie.

Taking some heavy breaths to calm down, she steps away from the undead to distance herself. She looks down to see herself covered in blood. Well, there’s nothing she can do about that now. Her eyes return to the cell, and she approaches it slowly. The sun will be setting soon, and she needs to leave. She approaches the silent cell and cautiously looks through the bars at a safe distance. She sees a man laying on the floor. He’s mere skin and bones and covered in dirt. She can’t make out any of his features due to his filth. But one thing she can determine is that he is human. Something screams inside of her to rescue him, take him home. The cell door is locked, so she looks around the basement. In the bloody mess of a previous attack, she finds a ring of keys with one large key sticking out. A wave of relief washes over her as the key fits in the door and clicks open. She wants to be gentle with this stranger, but she doesn’t have the luxury of time. It doesn’t seem to matter anyway. This man is barely conscious. His eyes blink open and shut as he drifts in and out. She crouches down next to him so he can hear her voice.

“Hello sir. I’m gonna get you out of here okay? Don’t be afraid, I’m only trying to help you. We have to move quickly because the sun is setting,” she tells him as gently as possible while trying to convey a sense of urgency.

The man is either too weak or unwilling to respond. He doesn’t seem like a danger to her…at least in his current state. She gently wraps her arms around his upper body and pulls him upright. She leans down to pull his arm over her shoulders so she can brace him. Using her legs, she lifts up with all her might. He’s much heavier than she expected.

“Sir, you have to help me lift you up. Lift with your legs if you can,” she pleads with him. 

He seems to respond, and on the next lift she is able to pull him up to a standing position. He leans on her heavily, but at least he’s trying to walk. Towering over her, Rey can barely withstand his weight. Even while he’s just skin and bones, this man is huge! They finally make it up the staircase and outside of the house.

“Almost there buddy! Just a few more steps okay?” she encourages him. 

He doesn't respond, clearly depleted of all his energy. Taking one last step, they finally make it to the golfcart. Rey swivels him around on his feet and lets him collapse into the golfcart. The sun is setting now, so Rey is racing to get him strapped in. She can hear moaning in the distance, and she knows they’re in real trouble. In the setting sun, the man looks even worse. He’s covered from head to toe in grime and dirt, and his clothes are tattered and shredded. _How long has he been in there?_

After strapping him in, she starts the golfcart and speeds away as fast as she safely can. They’d be lucky if they made it home without being followed by a horde of undead. She grabs a water bottle from the back and waves it at the stranger sitting beside her. When he doesn’t take it, she chances a look at him. His torso is slumped over, eyes shut. _Shit!_ She has to get him back home fast. By some miracle she manages to avoid attracting too much attention. Most of the undead were too weak to keep up with the golfcart. Finally, they make it back to the safety of her home.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

By some miracle, Rey manages to drag the stranger into her home. She quickly deposits him on her small couch and secures her home for the night. Gate bolted, windows secured, all lights out except for a few sparse candles. Too much light could draw attention, or at least that’s what Rey speculated. So she kept light and noise to a minimum during the evening.

Once she was certain they were safe and hadn’t been followed, she finally returns her attention back to the stranger. She cautiously approaches him on the couch. His chest is barely moving as he takes shallow breaths. There’s no telling how long he was trapped in that cell. He was probably near death from dehydration and/or starvation. Rey quietly sneaks out to her small shed in the back yard and grabs some necessary supplies. When she returns, she sets up the IV bag with intravenous fluids, and unwraps the tubing. She hangs the bag of intravenous fluid on the make-shift stand above the couch and runs the tubing down to his arm. She’s only done this on her own twice before, but her friend, Finn, had given her several lessons. He was a vet technician, and Rey was always interested in learning more. Since she owned the hardware store and sold feed, she often worked with farmers and ranchers. You never know when that type of knowledge could come in handy, like now, for instance. Finn had insisted that she practice on him before he gave her the emergency supplies. She silently thanks Finn, _wherever he was_. Her fingers tremble as she carefully inserts the needle into the man’s arm.

After ensuring everything is connected correctly, she sits in the nearby chair with a sigh of relief. This is the best thing she can do for him. As the solution drips from the bag into his IV, she lets her eyes roam over his body more closely. His overgrown, black hair and beard covers most of his dirty face, so she can’t make out his features. She doesn’t see any serious injuries, just some scrapes and minor cuts, none of which look infected. She doubts he was infected by an undead; being locked up in that cell saved him of that fate. But she decides it can’t hurt to clean him up a little to assess his condition. In the kitchen she runs some warm water and soap in a large bowl and grabs a clean rag. 

Sitting beside him on the coffee table, she scoots close. _Wow, this guy is large._ He’s over six feet tall with broad shoulders. She briefly considers her safety before quickly throwing that thought aside. This man was clearly in no state to overpower her, and he had clearly been dealt a shitty hand. The least she could do was help him get back on his feet. If she gets bad vibes from him, she could make him leave once he was in better health. She observes his bony shoulders and jutting ribs through his shirt. This guy was literally starving. He’s probably usually a good thirty pounds heavier than his current state. Hesitantly, she grabs his closest arm and brings it to her lap. Soaking the rag in the water, she brings it to his skin and begins to scrub. She falls into a silent rhythm as she continues to clean his arms. She notes his skin turns from brown to a surprisingly pale white, dotted with the occasional mole. She observes how large his hands are, and unconsciously her mind wonders how big the rest of him is. “ _Stop it,”_ she tells herself. She doesn’t even know this man. He could be dangerous. Maybe it was seeing him in that cell so helpless, but something in Rey’s gut told her that he wasn’t dangerous. Ever since the outbreak, when Rey encountered a stranger, she couldn’t wait to get as far away from them as she could. She either didn’t trust them or saw them as a burden.

However, she didn’t feel that way now. She didn’t feel this sense of dread of having to take care of another human being. Instead, it made her feel needed. She’d been on her own for two years now. “ _What’s changed?”_ she asked herself. Was she finally just done with self-isolation, or was it something about this stranger that made her think this could work? Rey didn’t know, and she didn’t want to contemplate too much about the issue at the moment. First, she has to get him through the night. If he was lucky, the fluids would work, and he would have enough energy to wake up and eat something tomorrow.

Eventually, Rey finishes washing his limbs and moves to his neck and face. She decides to leave his clothes, though she’ll eventually have to find him something new to wear. His current clothes are trashed. She swipes the soapy rag gently around his exposed chest and neck, slowly working her way up to his jaw. She bites her lip as she contemplates what to do with his hair. He’s clearly overdue for a haircut, as his hair falls messily over his face. She thinks his hair probably isn’t half bad if it were clean and styled correctly. For now, she uses her fingers to brush his hair to the side and out of his face. Rinsing the rag, she continues cleaning over his weeks-worth of stubble and finally cleans the rest of his face. Rey frowns at his face as something familiar strikes her. She can’t place her finger on it, but there’s something familiar about him. With a loud splat, the rag drops to the ground as Rey jolts up. _Is that…? No, it couldn’t be!_ He doesn’t stir at Rey’s fumble with the rag. She leans in again to observe his features more carefully. She swipes at his forehead, nose, and around his eyes to remove the last traces of visible dirt. She backs away to take in his face and the rest of him.

It’s Kylo Ren. At first she wasn’t sure, but now it’s clear. Beneath the dirt, filth, and beard lies one of the most famous, A-List Hollywood actors asleep on her couch. It’s the _Fucking Kylo Ren._


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

_You’ve got to be fucking kidding me._ Rey moves to the other side of the coffee table in her small living area to put distance between her and the massive man. She paces back and forth contemplating. Taking in his large size and dark, shaggy hair, distinct traits of Kylo Ren, she’s surprised she didn’t realize it was him sooner. Now, he sticks out like a sore thumb in her small home. She must be going mad.

Kylo must have been in a really bad spot to end up in a situation like this so far from his home. She knew he lived in New York. Celebrities like him either lived in New York or Los Angeles, and he was definitely the New Yorker type. Rey would know. She’d only seen _all_ of his movies, even the bad ones, and read all of the gossip about him, not that there was too much to tell. He was a known bachelor and recluse. He didn’t party much, but on the few occasions he did party or make public appearances, there was always a model dangling on his arm. Rey had only discovered him when he was cast in her favorite sci-fi book-turned-movie trilogy, “ _Outer Faction_.”

Surprised by the depth of his acting skills, she quickly became a Kylo Ren fan, and absorbed all of his work. Her fiancé, Poe, always teased her about her silly obsession with Kylo, but Rey couldn’t be bothered by it. He was a phenomenal actor and not bad looking either. Okay, so he was hot.

But none of that mattered now as he laid unconscious on her couch. His celebrity wouldn’t help her survive. Did this apocalyptic survival make him kind, or did it turn him cruel? Rey has seen the worst in people since the outbreak. Just because she vaguely knew him from a television screen didn’t mean she could trust this man. She would have to determine his character when he awoke.

His arms and legs are falling off the edges of her small couch. Rey glances at the IV bag to make sure that it’s still dripping. With a deep sigh, Rey leaves him to rest and retires to her master bedroom. There’s nothing she can do at this point but wait and see if he recovers.

~~~~~~~~~~~

Ben wakes with a jolt, taking in his surroundings. His neck aches as he looks around the small room. He notices he’s laying upon a small couch that barely fits his torso, while his legs are dangling off. The rest of the living room is filled with eclectic furniture and decor of different colors. _Is that a music phonogram in the corner?_ He looks down and sees a tube in his arm connected to an IV. He’s not tied down or shackled to anything. Someone had even attempted to clean him. Letting out a deep breath, he decides he’s out of immediate danger for the time being. He was nearly dead in that cell, dying of thirst and starvation. Whoever saved him, he owed them a debt of gratitude. Just then, a flicker of memory flashes before him.

There was a girl, no, a _woman_ , though she was young. He had been yelling for days for help, knowing he would be dead in a matter of days if no one came. His captures were attacked by the undead, leaving him stuck in that jail cell. His body eventually gave up, and he collapsed on the cell floor, his gaze facing the staircase. His vision blurred in and out of consciousness. In a brief moment of lucidness, he saw a woman descending the stairs. The soft glow from the lightbulb illuminated her slight form, and he would have cried with joy if he had the energy. Of course he was too dehydrated to cry in reality. Her profile shined like an angel that had come down from heaven above to rescue him. Then, the stomping of the zombie came for her. _Why didn’t he warn her? She was going to die, and it was all his fault. She came for him, and he led her straight to her death._ He mourned her death before she was even gone. Then suddenly, she raised her arms and brought the zombie down with a powerful swing of her machete. She continued to attack the zombie until it no longer moved. When she stood up to face him, blood stained her skin and clothes. Somehow, she looked even more beautiful. Shining in yellow light with blood bathing her skin, she had come to rescue him. She looked a fitting heroin in this post-apocalyptic time. He was in awe of this strong, wild, beautiful creature. He held on to that vision of her as his mind slipped to black. There are flickers of memory after that: him being pulled up, trying to walk, and the cool breeze on his face as he left the house. Everything after that is a blank.

~~~~~~~~~~~

Rey is washing her hands off with the water hose in her backyard when she hears a faint cough from her open backdoor. She quickly turns off the hose. With her basket of green beans in tow, she goes inside the kitchen through her backdoor. Forgetting to set her basket down, she walks straight to the living room. There, she finds Kylo awake and alert. He’s sitting up into a more reclined position, but his legs are still laying across the couch. When his eyes lock onto hers, they both still. His guarded gaze gives nothing away.

“How are you feeling?” Rey asks him tentatively. Kylo looks down at his body and takes inventory. His throat bobs up and down before he faces her again.

“Better than I deserve. I suspect I have you to thank for that,” he tells her in not unkind words. _He sounds tired_ , Rey thinks. Rey ignores his attempt to thank her.

“Are you thirsty? Hungry?” She asks him, knowing he must be starving. His jaw works from side to side as if he’s just now realizing how famished he is. He looks around the room and spots the green beans in her basket.

“Yes, please,” he tells her politely.

Leaving him to rest, she goes to the kitchen. She abandons her green beans and prepares him a quick meal to eat. She makes him a sandwich with the turkey she pulled from her freezer last week and opens a can of peaches. She looks out the window and sees the sun beginning to set. She makes herself a sandwich as well for dinner.

Not long after, she returns to the living room with two plates of food and a large glass of iced tea. His eyes light up when he sees the plate of food she holds out to him. He winces as he shifts his body fully upright with his legs hitting the floor with a thud.

“Wait...here, let me,” Rey sets the food down on the coffee table and leans over to gently grab his arm. Allowing her to handle his arm, he watches her in curiosity. She slowly pulls the IV needle out of his arm and sets the tube out of the way next to the empty IV bag. She returns to his arm to inspect the puncture wound from the needle. It doesn’t look irritated or infected, but she could clean it to be safe. “It looks fine, but I should clean it later just in case.”

“Are you a doctor or a nurse?” he asks with gruff in his voice. She releases his arm and looks at him to find his gaze on her. His intense gaze while she’s standing so close to him makes her falter. Rey backs up and sits on the chair next to the couch.

“No. My friend was a vet tech. He taught me. You’ve been out since yesterday evening. I was afraid you wouldn’t make it through the night if you didn’t get some fluids in you,” Rey tells him and looks down at her hands resting in her lap. “You should eat,” she implores him.

Remembering his hunger, he grabs his plate and starts devouring the food. Rey slowly picks up her plate to start eating. She’s too distracted by Kylo’s eating to even pick up her sandwich. He moans as he takes bite after bite.

“Is this turkey? How do you have turkey?” Kylo mumbles around a mouth full of food in between bites. Rey smirks at his astonishment. It feels nice to have someone appreciate her efforts. She clears her throat and wipes the slight grin off of her face.

“I have a solar powered deep freezer,” she tells him. He raises his eyebrows at her in question. “I basically scavenged as much as I could when this all started. There weren’t any survivors locally, so it was all mine for the taking. I was able to rig a deep freezer to store my food.”

Ben’s eyes drop and his tone darkens. He picks at the peaches with his fork. “No other survivors in your town?” he asks her.

“None that I’ve come across. This is a small town where everyone knows everyone. I’ve ran into other outsiders, but…” she hesitates to pick at an imaginary thread on her jeans, “that’s not always a good thing.”

“I know what you mean,” he tells her solemnly.

“You do?” she looks up at him in surprise. She would think everyone would either welcome him with open arms or leave him alone due to his size.

“Yeah,” he sighs before eyeing Rey’s sandwich without much subtly. She reaches out offering him her plate. He looks at her in question. “Are you sure? What about you?”

“I’m fine. You need to eat. Something tells me you're a few pounds underweight,” she eyes him. He chuckles lightly and takes the sandwich from her. Thanking her, he begins to devour it immediately. Rey watches him in fascination as he gulps down the last of the sandwich and chugs the iced tea. When he finishes, Rey gathers the dishes and deposits them in the kitchen sink. With a deep breath to steady herself, she looks once more at the setting sun, the last slivers of light disappearing.

“I’m Rey, by the way,” she tells him as she returns to the living room.

“Oh,” he mutters as if in disappointment, “I’m-” but Rey cuts him off before he can finish.

“I know who you are,” she plops back down in the chair next to the couch. “Kylo Ren,” she states flatly and meets his gaze.

“Here I was hoping that maybe you didn’t recognize me. Usually that’s the first thing people bring up. But actually I was going to say that I’m Ben. Ben Solo.” Rey squints her eyes at him with speculation. “Kylo was my acting name. My real name is Ben Solo. Please call me Ben.” Rey’s features soften then. _Ben_. It’s cute. Somehow, it fits him. She nods in agreement.

“Not eager to go by your stage name?” Rey asks him honestly.

“No, not really. I never really liked it to be honest. My publicist insisted on it. Besides, that’s probably what got me into this whole mess,” Ben sighs and relaxes against the back of the couch.

“You mean the jail cell? What happened? How did you end up here?” Rey asks him softly. “I mean, if you’re comfortable with telling me. You don’t have to.”

“It’s fine. Honestly, this is probably the first real conversation that I’ve had with anyone since the outbreak.” His gaze trails over her face before he returns to the subject at hand. With a deep sigh he begins. “I was flying to LA for work when the outbreak hit. My plane made an unplanned stop in Nebraska. We didn’t know that the outbreak had already reached Nebraska, and it all went to shit from there. I couldn’t go back to New York. The city was already overrun. I called my parents but they,” Ben leans forward and drops his head in his hands. Tentatively, Rey reaches forward and gently grabs his forearm in a reassuring touch. He looks back up at Rey with tears in his eyes. “They were already gone. My uncle told me over the phone. He told me not to come back.”

“I’m so sorry Ben,” Rey whispers to him in an effort to hold back her own tears. Rey never had parents, but she could imagine the despair of losing them. She feels his arm shaking and gives him a gentle squeeze as he continues.

“My best bet was to head for the West Coast. My money was worthless at that point, so I didn’t have much to offer. I was able to catch rides or crash here and there along the way. I nabbed a car a few times, but it was either stolen from me or overrun with undead…walkers...whatever you call them. I’ve had mostly shit luck. Sometimes my fame helped me catch a ride or place to stay, but I hated it. I’ve never felt so completely helpless.”

“That must have been awful,” Rey consoles him. Ben nods.

“That’s not even all of it. When I crossed the Nevada border, I joined a group who agreed to let me tag along. When they realized who I was, they tied me up, and made me their prisoner. They planned to trade me for supplies or food...just because of who I was,” Ben shook his head in disbelief. “They were holding me captive for months, traveling around. We stopped in the house where you found me, and they put me in that cell. They starved me. They beat me. They were cruel. I couldn’t fight or farm. I had nothing to offer them but my name. I’ve never felt so worthless and degraded,” Ben closes his eyes in weariness, the defeat evident in his voice.

Rey shakes his forearm in her grip. “Ben, you are not worthless!” she tells him unwaveringly. “Look at me.” She waits for him to meet her gaze before she continues. He slowly looks up to meet her eyes. “We were all worthless when this outbreak began. Do you think I knew how to garden or how to fight when the undead attacked? I didn’t know a thing. The fact that I’ve survived this long by myself is a pure miracle. You feel worthless because you haven’t had the time or opportunity to learn those skills. You’ve been uprooted from your home, and you’ve been trying to survive the only way you know how. That’s not your fault,” Rey tells him in a firm but caring voice.

“Yeah, but I can’t help you. I’m a liability here...another mouth to feed,” Ben tells her with a resounding sigh.

“If you want to stay, I’ll teach you what I know,” she tells him, surprising herself at the words coming out of her mouth. She realizes she doesn’t mind the thought of him staying.

“Really? You’d let me stay?” he asks her with hope in his voice.

“Honestly, I’m surprised you would want to stay. My place isn’t very big, and I don’t have much to offer you-” Rey’s words are cut off when big arms wrap around her pulling her against him in an embrace.

“Thank you,” he simply tells her, “I’ll stay.”


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

“I’ll show you where the bathroom is,” she tells him after she awkwardly pulls out of his embrace. His hug came so unexpectedly that Rey froze up. She had barely started to sink into his warm embrace before he released her. Still, his massive arms wrapped completely around her shoulders left a lasting impression.

“A shower would be great,” Ben admits and begins to stand. He stands slowly, testing his legs, which were so weak yesterday. She watches him as he stretches his legs and tests his body.

“Do you need help walking?” Rey asks, not sure if she can handle being within close proximity to him again so soon. His presence did something to her that she hasn’t felt in a long time.

“No,” he says, testing his weight on his legs, “I think I’ll be alright.”

Rey leads him past two large, solid double doors into her bedroom. When Ben enters her room, he looks around in surprise. Rey nervously looks around her room, seeing it through his eyes. Rey’s room is larger than her living room. Ben observes a large California king canopy bed. There’s soft, white tulle drapes tied back at each post, giving the bed an open feel. The large mattress is covered by a white, fluffy comforter. Other than the bed, everything else in the room is full of color. There’s a bright red bench at the foot of her bed covered in throw pillows of varying colors. The large, antique dresser on the other wall is covered with ornate decorative carvings. A colorful rug with geometric shapes and patterns covers the open area floor, while two comfy lounge chairs sit neatly against the wall. He clears his throat when he notices Rey waiting for him.

“I didn’t expect your room to be so big based on your living room,” he admits.

“Yeah,” Rey looks around her room shyly, “I know my home is small. I could never afford a large home in this town, which is fine, because it’s really only myself. I’m fine with small spaces, but when I saw this room, I was sold on this house.”

“So there’s only one bedroom?” Ben asks her, continuing to look around her room. The master bedroom was easily larger than both her living room and kitchen combined.

“Yes,” Rey admits, “About that-”

“No, it’s fine. I can stay in the living room,” he glances back to the living room at the small couch. He internally grimaces at the idea of sleeping on that thing night after night. Half of his body barely fits on it. But he would take what comfort he could get.

“No, Ben,” she sighs. Ben finds that he likes the sound of his name whispered on her tongue. “That’s no good, and I think we both know it. There’s no way you can fit on that couch. The only reason you were there in the first place was because I couldn’t carry you any further, and you were super dirty.”

“Yeah, but,” Ben waves his hand at her bed, not really knowing what to say next.

“This is a California King. It’s huge. Plenty of room for both of us. Or if you’d rather, we can get another bed to fit in this room. I do think it would be safer if you stayed in this room though. I reinforced these doors and windows, so there’s an extra layer of protection if the undead do get in the house,” Rey finishes with an audible breath. When Ben doesn’t respond immediately, she runs her fingers through her messy hair. “Look, I get it. You don’t know me. If you want to stay on the couch or the floor, go ahead. After what you’ve been through, I don’t want you to be in another uncomfortable situation. And I promise I won’t be offended if you sleep somewhere else, or if you want to leave in the morning. But if we’re gonna both stay here long-term; we’ll need to share this space. And you should be comfortable.”

_Could he stay in the same bed with this woman?_ Ben wondered to himself. She’s been the first friendly face he’s seen since this started. She rescued him and saved his life without asking for anything in return. He certainly needs her more than she needs him.

“Why are you letting me stay here? I’m a liability. What’s in it for you?” he asks her directly. Rey stares down at her intertwined hands in front of her, attempting to formulate an answer she didn't quite know the answer to. 

“I’ve been alone since this started. Almost two years. I...” she breathes deeply to steady her nerves and looks at him, “I lost my parents when I was young. I was an orphan most of my childhood, and it fucked me up. I don’t form attachments or relationships for fear of losing them. I’ve always lived like this; keeping myself at a distance from people. But then I moved here. I made a few good friends, and I met Poe. They taught me how to open up again. Poe and I were engaged for two months when the outbreak happened.” A single tear rolls down Rey’s cheek before she quickly wipes it away.

“I lost everyone I loved...again. I’ve been in survival mode for two years; emotionally shut down. I’ve had opportunities; I’ve met other survivors, ones that weren’t bad. But it wasn’t a risk I was willing to take again. I didn’t want to build a friendship only to have them ripped away by the undead. But….something’s changed now. I guess I’m tired of being alone. I've been surviving for so long now, but I want more. Surviving is not living. If I can find companionship with someone, then I’m willing to try again. It won’t be easy for me to open up, but I’ll try.”

Rey heaves quietly, trying to keep her emotions under wrap. She just unloaded a lot of baggage at Ben’s feet, and he might not be willing to handle that.

“I’m sorry for your loss, Rey. You’ve suffered so much. So much loss, and here I was complaining about my parents-”

“Losing your parents is awful, Ben. Don’t underscore your loss,” Rey interrupts him, “My loss doesn’t trump your loss. We’ve all lost everyone we ever loved. I realize all of this information is a lot to process. I don't want you to feel obligated to stay.”

“I don't feel obligated. I want to stay,” Rey stares at him with surprise in her eyes. “You’re the first person to show me kindness without asking for anything in return. I know we just met, but, I don't know...” Ben shrugs his shoulders unapologetically, “I feel comfortable around you.” 

With a deep sigh and a look of determination, he straightens his shoulders. “So I’d like to stay with you...in your room...in your bed,” his cheeks start to flush as he explains. “Like you said, it’s plenty big. Then, we can get to know each other, and you can teach me what you know so that I can contribute. I think this could be good.”

Rey smiles shyly at his words. Never in a million years would Rey have thought that a gorgeous Hollywood movie star would be standing in her room agreeing to sleep in her bed with her. She suddenly feels optimistic about this arrangement. Upon seeing Rey’s reaction, Ben’s lips slightly lift at the corners revealing a subtle smile. Her smile lights up the room and does things to him that he ought to not think about. _She’s so pretty_. He doesn’t know if it’s because she rescued him or because she’s the first decent person he’s met, but he’s quickly becoming infatuated with her. Such a strong, passionate, and resourceful person jam-packed into this small but beautiful soul. Her small home was chocked full of color and liveliness. Her resourcefulness and efficiency had enabled her to survive, and he was in awe of her. He realized that her childhood trauma was likely the cause of her need for independence. But it’s also what likely saved her during this outbreak. 

“So about that shower,” Ben mentions.

“Oh! Of course,” Rey shakes her head and directs him to the bathroom connected to the bedroom. They enter the small bathroom where she shows him where everything is located.

“Sorry it’s not very big, and we don’t have the luxury of hot water, but it’s better than nothing,” Rey explains with embarrassment as she grabs a towel from the cabinet for him.

“Rey, it’s perfect. I don’t know when’s the last time I’ve had a shower,” he tells her to stop her babbling.

“Well...Oh, I forgot! One second,” Rey darts out of the room, leaving Ben standing in the small bathroom. It is small but the shower/tub combo is full sized at least. The shower head looks high enough that he can actually stand underneath. Rey rushes back in with a large pile of fabric in her arms. “So I didn't have any clothes for you, so I raided a neighbor’s home.” Rey dumps the pile of clothes on the countertop next to the sink. “I think he was tall, so I hope some of this will fit.” Rey glances at the clothes as she runs out of things to say. Her gaze awkwardly returns back to Ben, who is waiting patiently for her. He smirks at her as she realizes she should give him some privacy. “Okay, well, I’ll just leave you to it then,” Rey blushes and exits the bathroom, shutting the door firmly behind her.

Ben turns to the shower and begins to remove his clothes; the same clothes he’s been wearing for weeks. Worn thin, they’re caked with dirt and blood, beyond salvaging. Once his clothes are removed, he turns on the shower. It’s cool, but not freezing during the hotter summer months. His body shivers as he steps under the spray of the shower. The cool water washes over his body and runs brown down the drain. He scrubs his body vigorously with the soap and rag that Rey gave him. He can count his ribs as he scrubs his torso. He realizes how close he actually was to death. It would take a few weeks for him to get back to full health. He needed to be at full strength so that he could help Rey. Ben didn’t want to be a burden on her.

Something told him that Rey wasn’t the type of person to cast him out while he needed her help. She’s already shown him more kindness than anyone, even before the outbreak. Ben was used to people using him. They only showed him kindness in order to get something in return. But his fame and status were worth nothing now. People didn’t care about that anymore, and if they did, it wasn’t necessarily a good thing. But Rey didn’t seem to care that he had nothing to offer. Her kindness brought tears to his eyes. He was lucky to have her rescue him. She was his angel. He remembers how she came down those basement stairs to rescue him. She didn’t blink an eye when the zombie came for her. She killed it without hesitation and rescued him from that hell hole. _Had he even thanked her properly?_ Shit. How could he thank her properly? He had nothing to give her. She had been so gentle and sweet with him. He remembers her blushing cheeks as he talked to her. His eyes had quickly gazed down her form. Her fit, lean body with subtle curves had awoken a yearning between his legs. Her small, perky breasts beneath her simple shirt enthralled him. With a groan, he squeezes his semi hard-on to stop it from going any further. Now was not the time to be thinking about fucking her. He just met her, and he didn’t want to scare her off walking around with a huge erection.

Ben shuts off the water and dries off with a towel. He does a quick shave with the razor Rey gave him. Looking through the clothes piled on the countertop, he finds that they’re close to his size, though a little baggy. Once he gains some weight, they should fit him better. Rey was smart enough to grab several pairs of everything he might need. For now, he chooses a pair of pajama bottoms and a white t-shirt.

~~~~~~~~~~~

Rey leaves Ben in the bathroom to shower. She paces at the foot of her bed with anxiety. Rey grumbles to herself, remembering how she had babbled on at Ben instead of giving him the space he clearly needed. She needs to chill, or else she’ll scare him off. _Did she even want him to stay? She had never wanted anyone to stay before. Ben was the first._ She takes a deep breath to center herself. When she hears the shower turn on, she goes to her dresser. She changes into her usual pajama shorts and t-shirt. Then, she double checks that all the windows and doors in the house are secured. You could never be too cautious. With extra time on her hands, she cleans up in the kitchen. Finally, she cleans the produce she picked in the garden today and stores it away. Without anything else to clean, she goes back to the bedroom. There, she finds Ben standing in the center of the room, fresh from his shower.

“Oh, you’re done already,” Rey exclaims. “Feel better?” She takes in his smooth face and shiny, black hair. Now, he looks much more like the famous Kylo Ren she knows from all of her favorite movies.

“Much better. Thank you,” Ben replies as his gaze quickly glances over Rey’s form. “Is there anywhere I can put these clothes?” Ben asks, gesturing to the pile of clothes in his arms.

“Oh, sure. Over here,” Rey gestures to her dresser. She moves to open two empty drawers for him. “You can use these. Let me know if you need more room.”

“This should be fine, thanks,” he bends down to fold the clothes and neatly put them in the drawers. “I think they’ll fit me fine by the way. Thanks for grabbing these for me. I’m pretty sure I should incinerate the ones I was wearing. They’re disgusting,” he chuckles.

“Hey, we’ve all been there. I get that dirty at least twice a week,” Rey chuckles as she untucks the bed, preparing to get in. “But yeah, you were pretty filthy. I had no idea you were Kylo Ren when I rescued you. You were unrecognizable. I didn’t figure it out until I wiped you down with a rag.”

“I don’t think I ever properly thanked you,” Ben closes the drawers and stands up to return to the bed. When he turns around, Rey is climbing into bed. He watches as her long, toned legs slip underneath the comforter. He gulps audibly at the sight of her. Never has a bed been so inviting. “You saved my life. Thank you.”

“You’re welcome,” Rey smiles warmly back at him, “You should probably rest. I’m sure you’re still exhausted.”

“Yeah,” Ben sighs as he approaches the other side of the bed sheepishly. As he pulls back the comforter, he wonders how sturdy her bed is. His large frame has broken a few beds in his time. But as he gently sinks into the bed, all thoughts of its sturdiness are forgotten. He groans as he sinks back into the mattress. “Oh my God. I can’t remember the last time I’ve slept in a proper bed.” Drowsiness quickly takes over him, but he remembers Rey to his side. In ordinary times, he would be sliding his arm around her torso to pull her closer to him. He reminds himself that they are practically strangers, but he can’t help but feel close to this woman he just met. With droopy eyes, he turns his head to look at her.

Rey is laying on her side facing him, but she is far on the other side of the bed, leaving them plenty of room to move around if need be. Her eyes are wide as she watches him with curiosity. The comforter is pulled up to her shoulders as she snuggles into her pillow. Ben can’t help but smile at the sight of her. She looks so comfortable and adorable as she lays there.

“Is this okay?” Ben asks her with a gulp. He hopes she doesn’t notice when his eyes glance down to her cleavage peeking up from her pajama shirt. He can’t seem to help himself, but his eyes quickly return back to her face.

“Of course,” Rey quips back, “What kind of person would I be not to share my bed with you? I’m just not used to sharing a bed with another person.” Rey supplies him with new information. There’s a heavy pause before he responds.

“But I thought you were engaged?” Ben’s eyes frown in question. “Surely you’ve…” Ben’s voice trails off as his mind wanders. Just because Rey was engaged didn’t mean she’d lived with a man before, but surely she had slept with her fiancé before. His face stills slightly at the thought that Rey might be an actual virgin. Rey interprets his confusion.

“No! I mean yes!” Rey clarifies. “I was engaged, but we didn’t live together. We _have_ slept together, but not often. Not regularly,” Rey tucks her chin into her chest with embarrassment. “Like I said, I had issues with relationships and getting close to people. I was making a lot of progress, but I was still slow to open up to Poe.”

“But you were engaged to him?” Ben asks her honestly.

“Yeah,” Rey sighs deeply understanding his question, “I probably agreed to the engagement hastily. I wasn’t really ready, but Poe was very convincing. He was very committed to marrying me. He was patient enough to work through my quirks. He was a kind and good person,” she relents as tears prickle in her eyes. “Now I just feel awful when I think about him. I don’t think of the good memories anymore. I just remember the day he turned, and I had to protect myself.” Tears finally fall from her face. She buries her face in the comforter to hide them, but Ben can see them clear as day. He turns on his side to face her, but he’s still far enough to give her space.

“I’m so fucking sorry. I can’t imagine going through that,” Ben keeps his hands by his sides while still trying to provide her comfort. He doesn’t think she’s ready for his touch yet. “You don’t have to hide your tears from me. I’m pretty sure I’ve cried in front of you twice already. If I can cry in front of you, then you can cry in front of me.”

A muffled sob escapes Rey as she buries her face in the comforter. After a minute of muffled cries, Rey reveals her face with splotchy cheeks and red eyes.

“Thank you for understanding,” Rey mumbles.

“You’re welcome,” Ben breathes with relief now that she is calmer. “Just promise that you’ll tell me if me being in your bed or in your home is too much for you. Promise me you’ll tell me. I don’t mind. I can always go sleep on the couch,” Ben tells her firmly.

“I’ll tell you. I promise,” Rey whispers with a small sort of smile. Ben gives her a small smile back as sleep threatens to take over him.

“Goodnight, Rey,” Ben whispers.

“Goodnight, Ben,” Rey replies.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

Ben wakes slowly to soft light shining in his eyes. He had the most amazing dream. A beautiful woman rescued him from his prison cell and brought him to her bed. They made passionate love all night. For a long, silent moment, it dawns on him that he’s no longer in his jail cell. _Rey!.._ It wasn’t a dream...all of it except the ‘making passionate love’ part at least. His eyes open to take in his surroundings. He slept so deeply that he didn’t even turn from his original position. He gently rolls on his back and stretches his arms and torso, warm thoughts of Rey still in his head. When he looks down, his erection is happily tenting the comforter. His hands quickly jerk down to cover himself as he turns to see if Rey is awake. But Rey is nowhere to be found. His relief is short lived when he starts to wonder where she is. He has a brief moment of panic before he hears a pan rattle in the kitchen. He breathes a little easier, and his stomach begins to rumble in hunger.

Grabbing some clothes from the dresser, he goes to the bathroom to get ready for today. His only goal today was to prove his worth to Rey. What little points he would earn in knowledge, he hoped to make up with his enthusiasm and willingness to learn. After changing into a pair of jeans and a navy plaid button down shirt, he finds Rey in the kitchen. The back door in the kitchen is open, as Rey enters with a basket of green beans. She’s wearing jean shorts cutoff just above the knee and a violet racerback tank top. Her eyes light up in surprise when she sees him enter the kitchen.

“Oh! Good morning Ben! How did you sleep?” she asks him with enthusiasm.

“Better than I’ve slept in years actually,” Ben rubs the back of his neck anxiously. “And you? How did you sleep? I hope I didn’t keep you up.”

“Me? Oh, I was out like a light. Would you like some breakfast?” she asks as she deposits her basket on the kitchen countertop and washes her hands.

“That sounds great. Can I help you with anything?” he asks her.

“That’s okay. Have a seat at the table. Let’s get some food in you first, then I can show you around,” Rey gestures to the small dinette in the kitchen. Ben sits down and watches Rey as she opens the microwave and pulls out a plate. Like the rest of the house, the kitchen is small. It’s shotgun style, straight down with a small dinette table and two chairs at the end. Rey moves efficiently through her kitchen without falter.

“I have two boiled eggs and toast. Do you want some coffee? Sorry, it’s not super hot. It’s been sitting out awhile.”

“The food sounds perfect. I’ll skip the coffee for now. I haven’t had coffee in so long I’m afraid I’ll have to ease back into it.”

“That makes sense,” she tells him as she brings him a plate of food and joins him at the table. Resting her forearms on the table, she watches him eat in silence. “Are you feeling better than yesterday?”

Ben chews on a piece of toast as he recollects how he felt yesterday. “Yesterday, I felt like I was hit by a semi-truck. Today, I feel more like I was hit by a vespa. So yes, I’d say much better,” Ben smiles at her. Rey smiles widely, appreciating his sense of humor. 

“That’s certainly better,” Rey chuckles. “I figured today we could take it easy. I could show you around the house: modifications I’ve made and such. I can show you how I’m preparing for winter. Obviously, I’m still learning, and I don’t have everything all figured out. If you have any ideas or suggestions, please don’t be humble. Let me know your thoughts.”

“Okay. I don’t think I’ll have much advice to offer you, but I appreciate the sentiment,” Ben replies as he finishes his breakfast and brings his dish to the sink.

“Oh, I doubt that,” Rey stands as well, twisting her torso from side to side to stretch her back. Ben catches a glimpse of her trim stomach as her tank top rides up. He’s transfixed by her skin while she continues stretching. “You’re from New York State. I assume you’re better at adapting to the cold. I grew up in Florida.” There’s a long pause before Ben responds. When she stops stretching and faces him, his eyes snap back to her face.

“Uh, oh yeah, well I guess that’s true,” Ben responds, not quite thinking clearly. “Wait. How did you know I’m from New York?”

“Duh, You’re Kylo Ren!” she replies matter of factly. “It’s public knowledge where you live.”

“Yeah, but you said, ‘I’m from New York State,’ insinuating you knew that I was from upper New York...before I was famous,” Ben responds suspiciously with one raised eyebrow.

Rey instantly blushes and looks down at her feet while trying desperately to come up with a response. “That’s also public knowledge I’ll have you know. I think most details about your life are public.” Rey looks at him directly, trying to play down her knowledge about him.

Ben takes a step closer to her, making Rey’s skin grow hot. _This was not good_ , Rey thinks. He’s going to figure her out. When he figures out she used to be obsessed with him, he would leave. She just knew it. _Fuck!_

“That’s true, but someone would have to seek out that information about me. You wouldn’t just come across that information on accident,” Ben tells her even more suspicious now. He takes another small step toward her, bringing them even closer. “Are you…” he cocks an eyebrow with a sly smirk, “are you a fan of Kylo Ren?”

He’s teasing her now. Rey knows it, and damn it, if it doesn’t bring shivers down her spine. Rey knows she is a terrible liar. If she must confess, she will do so with grace and dignity. Unfortunately, that is the farthest thing that comes out of her mouth.

“Isn’t everyone?” Rey replies with a firm voice. “I _was_ a fan of your films, yes. But that doesn’t mean...that doesn’t mean…” Rey stumbles over her words, not knowing how to finish her sentence. Thankfully, Ben stops her before she can continue.

“Rey, Rey, stop,” Ben laughs. She stops babbling to let him talk. “I’m just fucking with you. In fact, it’s flattering, if you actually are a fan. But you don’t have to pretend that you are. I know I’m not everyone’s cup of tea.”

Ben waits for Rey to respond but she remains silent while staring bashfully at him. If she confirms she is a fan, she’s afraid she’ll scare him away. He said he was flattered, but he was just being polite. He has to say that to fans. But to say she really wasn’t a fan felt blasphemous. She couldn’t lie to his face and tell him she didn’t think he was an amazing actor. So instead, she says nothing.

Ben clears his throat in an attempt to move past the awkward silence. “So do you want to show me around?”

“Yes. Absolutely.”

~~~~~~~~~~~

“So, I’m sure you’ve figured out there’s not much to the inside of the house,” Rey gestures around the living room which is connected to the tiny kitchen. “My bedroom is really the only saving grace of this house...the reason I bought it actually. It’s basically my one luxury in life. I went all out with furnishing it, hence the California king-sized bed.” Ben follows Rey to the front door. She stops when they reach it. “I secure all the doors and windows at night before sundown. I replaced the original door with this solid wood door. It weighs a ton by the way. At night, I turn the multiple deadbolts here and add these metal braces across the front,” Rey gestures to the two large metal beams that swing down across the door. “I installed these heavy-duty window shutters on the inside so that they can be shut from the inside. You never know when you might need to board up quickly or make a quick escape. It doesn’t look as nice, but it’s more functional.”

Ben nods as he looks around the room to see the open shutters attached to the windows. They did look heavy-duty.

“Did you do this all yourself?” Ben asks her.

“Yes,” she replies, “I own a small hardware store downtown not too far away. It’s a historic, old-fashioned hardware store, so I don’t carry everything, but I have a lot of the basics. I salvaged what I didn’t have. In that line of work, you tend to pick up a lot of skills, so I’m lucky in that respect.”

“Wow,” Ben says with surprise, “That’s impressive. I wouldn’t know where to begin.”

“Well, it’s taken nearly two years to get to this point. It’s always a work in progress. I’ll show you the pantry.”

Ben follows Rey to a small room next to the kitchen. They both nearly take up all the space in the small room. Looking around, Ben sees wall-to-wall shelves stocked with canned and jarred food, some of it store canned, some of it home-canned. There’s also a deep freezer in the corner.

“This used to be the laundry room, but I pulled the washer and dryer out since they’re useless now. This room is basically used to store food for winter months.”

“You have quite a bit stored up,” Ben nods as he looks around. Rey nods and takes him back through the kitchen and out the back door. There’s a small covered porch that leads to a fenced backyard. There’s a traditional six-foot wooden fence but razor wired is added to the top.

“So this is my bread and butter,” she twirls around and points to the garden, “If we’re going to survive long term, we need to be able to grow food. I can’t believe how much I missed fresh produce until I couldn’t have it.” She walks between a row of plants and bends down to check on a squash. “I never gardened before the outbreak, so there’s been a lot of trial and error. This is very new to me, but it’s also the most important. Eventually, we won’t be able to scavenge for food anymore.”

Ben surveys her garden wondering how he’ll be able to help her. Her small garden is impressive.

“So do you mainly eat fresh produce or canned?” he asks her.

“I try to can double the amount of what I pick, so I am eating fresh produce most days, but it’s not a lot. I still have reserves from scavenging as well.” Ben nods in understanding.

“I have a decent sized storage shed over there,” she gestures to the shed in the back corner of the yard. “I have extra supplies in there. There are weapons in the house and in the shed. I want to create a backup safehouse and maybe a back escape over the fence. Maybe that’s something you can help me create.”

Rey gestures to the fence surrounding her yard. “This fence is my biggest security concern. It’s not strong enough or tall enough. It’s fine to hold a few undead at bay, but if we get a horde, we’re toast. I added the razor wire, but someone bigger and taller, like yourself, could really come in handy with these projects.” Rey lets her arm fall and faces Ben. He idly looks around at all of Rey’s accomplishments.

“Yeah, I think I can help you with that. You’ve really accomplished a lot here.”

“Thank you,” Rey replies bashfully before she remembers her last project, “Oh! I forgot to show you my kids!” Rey exclaims excitedly.

“Your kids?” Ben wonders with raised eyebrows. He’s pretty sure she never mention having children.

“Follow me!” She tells him with excitement. Around the garden, at the side fence there’s a gate. She unbolts the gate and leads him through to the neighbor’s yard. When he enters the yard, he is met by three goats running at them. They run up to Rey excitedly, smelling her pockets for food. She turns to face him with a bright smile on her face. He can’t help but return her smile. She looks positively delighted with herself.

“These are my kids!” Rey giggles and turns to pet them. After a minute of petting, she heads to the neighbor’s house. She disappears behind the door for a second, then returns with a bucket of feed. The goats follow at her heels, waiting to be fed. She empties the bucket of feed into a small trough. Abandoning Rey, the goats turn to the trough to munch on the food.

“These two are females and this one is male. I use their milk to make butter and cheese. It’s not the same as store-bought, but it’s better than nothing. I’m hoping they’ll have babies in the spring, so we can have some meat.” Rey points to the front of the neighbor’s yard, and Ben follows her. There, he finds Rey has built a chicken coop. “I have five chickens and one rooster. The eggs you had this morning are from Sally and Bertha,” Rey points to two big white hens. “They’re my best egg layers. Again, I’m hoping to hatch some chicks so that we can actually eat some chickens.” Ben watches in awe as Rey feeds the chickens some grain and secures the coop.

“Wow, Rey. It doesn’t look like you need my help at all. You have a great set up here,” Ben tells her as they head back into the house. She pours them both a glass of water then they go to the living room. Rey collapses on the couch, while Ben sits in the chair beside her. They both take a long drink of water before she continues.

“All of this…” she waves her hand around in the air, gesturing to her homestead, “it’s risky. Very risky. The livestock draws attention. That’s why I have them farthest from the house. I can’t keep too many. They get noisy and smelly. That draws attention from the undead and outsiders,” Rey stares directly at him. Ben knows how dangerous strangers can be, so he understands her concern.

“Outsiders are a major concern for me. I know not everyone is bad, but from my experience, it’s not worth the risk. I don’t get too many people because this is a small town. They’re mostly just passing through. I get maybe one or two groups or individuals a month from what I can tell. Mostly, it’s easy to avoid them, but I’ve had a few run-ins that didn’t go well.”

“Did they...were you okay?” Ben asks her with worry laced in his voice. He knows his captors wouldn’t have hesitated to use Rey any way that they wanted. She waves her hand at him.

“I’m fine. I can take a few punches. Nothing my machete and pistol can’t solve eventually,” Rey gives him a false smile that doesn’t convince him at all that she’s fine. With a deep sigh, she continues. “I’m at an impasse. I don’t have enough room to expand my crop. I don’t want to add to our livestock until the surrounding fence is more secure. But I’m afraid if I build a bigger, more secure perimeter fence, it will draw the attention of outsiders. My home’s not on the main road, but it’s close enough that someone can spot it if they’re looking.”

Ben hums in acknowledgment, tossing around ideas in his head. “Have you thought about relocating?” he asks her. “Not leaving this town I mean, but to another home with more land…maybe more private.”

She’s quiet in thought for a moment, when all of a sudden her eyes light up in excitement. She leans forward as if to tell him a secret. “There was this old, rich couple. They lived on the outskirts of town. The house is decent sized and nicely upgraded, but more importantly, their property is surrounded by a brick wall. The only reason I know this is because I had to deliver something to them from the hardware store. They were recluses; liked their privacy and security. But I got a good look inside past the gates. They have at least two acres I’d guess. The best part is that the home is surrounded by woods, so no neighbors or passing strangers. It’s not too far out either, just a few miles.”

Leaning back on the couch again, her mind whirls at the new possibilities. “I don’t know if they’re still there. We’d have to check it out. But…” she hesitates, looking at Ben finally, “it could work.”

“It’s risky, but if we can pull it off, the reward would be huge,” Ben tells her, “Can your golfcart make that trip?”

“Yes, it’s electric. I’ll make sure it’s fully charged just in case.” Rey answers. “That brings up a good point though. Being further from town would mean being more independent. Less trips into town, but honestly it’s getting to that point anyway. There’s not much food left to scavenge in town.”

“At the very least, we could check out the place. See if it’s even a viable option,” Ben suggests.

“I think you’re right,” Rey admits. “Hey look, you’re already suggesting good ideas!” she smiles brightly at him. Her smile renders him speechless every time, taking him by surprise. He gulps before remembering to respond.

“Hey, I’m more than just a pretty face!” he jokes with her. The both laugh at his self-deprecating humor.


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Pride and Prejudice shout out!

**Chapter 6**

Rey spends the remainder of the day showing Ben her home improvements in greater detail. He follows her around, paying close attention to any knowledge she divulges. Ben is fascinated by Rey’s ingenuity and perseverance. He helps her pick more beans from the garden. His large hands aren’t as quick and agile as Rey’s, but he commits to making himself useful somehow. They pick produce in peaceful silence, sneaking glances at each other with shy smiles. Attempting to break the silence, Ben asks her the occasional garden related question, which she politely answers.

With all of Rey’s home modifications left behind, they both acknowledge that moving to a new home will be much like starting from scratch. They plan to reuse as much as they can. With fall quickly approaching, they decide moving right before winter gets here will be the best time. The garden will be done producing by that time.

After gardening, they take the produce inside. In the kitchen, Ben helps her to clean and trim the beans while Rey prepares the necessary supplies to jar them. Setting some aside for dinner, Rey teaches Ben the process of canning the beans, which takes them about one and half hours. At the end, they add four cans to their winter food supply.

By the time they’re finished, Ben is exhausted from the day of walking around. His body still hasn’t fully recovered from his time of starvation and imprisonment. Noticing his quiet demeanor, Rey tells him to go shower while she prepares a quick dinner.

While he showers, Rey reflects on the day and feels like so much has happened. Only three days ago did she think the rest of her life would be spent alone in her tiny fortress. Now here she was, planning to uproot her homestead, a lofty goal. But she wouldn’t be alone this time. She had Ben to help her. And help her he would, she was sure of it. The way he paid close attention to her every word had impressed her. He seemed devoted to learning this tricky game of surviving, and Rey feels lucky that he chose to do it with her. Ben is nothing like she imagined Kylo Ren to be like. His kind demeanor and hard work ethic was a pleasant surprise to her. Rey had always fantasized about the actor Kylo Ren, but she never fooled herself into believing he was a person that would be kind or compassionate. She knew Kylo Ren would look past her without a second glance. But Rey had been wrong. This is not Kylo Ren. This is Ben Solo.

By the time Ben is done showering, Rey has prepared a dinner with rice, bread and butter, and the green beans they picked today. Rey eyes Ben from head to toe in his lounge pants and white t-shirt. She quickly averts her gaze, hoping he didn’t catch her staring. In his films, he’s usually buff and bulky. Now, he’s leaner but still tone. Even not in his peak physical condition, Ben looks breath taking to Rey.

Grateful to be in his situation, Ben sits down to join Rey for dinner. He moans as he bites into the fresh bread.

“This is so good. Did you make this bread?” he asks.

“Yeah, it’s actually one of the easier things to make. I have a simple recipe,” she tells him as she bites into her bread as well. “And the butter from the goat’s milk isn’t too hard to make either. You just have to put in a little arm muscle. So worth it,” Rey moans as she licks a trace of butter off her upper lip. When she opens her eyes, Ben is staring at her with a dark expression. _Did she say something wrong?_

“Well, kudos to the chef,” Ben says after he clears his throat. “This is amazing.”

~~~~~~~~~~~

After they clean up the kitchen and lock the windows and doors, they retire to the bedroom. Though the sun has set, it’s not too late in the evening.

“I’m gonna take a shower. If you want, I have some movies downloaded on my laptop,” Rey grabs her laptop off of her dresser and hands it to Ben.

“Uh, sure. Where do I find them?” he asks.

“Just turn it on. There’s no password. There’s a movie folder on the home screen. You can browse those. Before the outbreak, I bought all of my movies digitally. I downloaded most of them, thank God. I have more movies on an external hard drive, but my favorites are on here.”

“Cool. Thanks,” Ben tells her as she grabs her pajamas and goes to the bathroom. After the bathroom door is securely shut, Ben unmakes the bed and climbs into his side. Once settled with the laptop on his lap, he opens the movie folder and begins to browse.

He immediately realizes that there are a lot of movies on the folder; over one hundred at least. _And these are her favorites?_ Scrolling through the titles, the movies are sorted in alphabetical order. He cringes as he scrolls past one of his old movies from early in his career. It was a B-budget film by a sub-par director, but the plot was on-point and the actors were half decent, excluding himself. Ben hated watching his own movies, but he was especially bad in this one. This was one of his first big breaks, and he was still very new to acting in films.

He quickly scrolls past the movie while debating on deleting it. Then, he remembers she said these were her favorite movies. Well, he definitely can’t delete it now. Then, he sees another movie he starred in. This one wasn’t a blockbuster, but an obscure film that premiered at Sun Dance a few years ago. It received great reviews on Sun Dance but didn’t hit major theaters. Ben had acted in this film for fun, without worry about money or his reputation. His publicist, Snoke, had strongly disapproved, but Ben didn’t care. He enjoyed making the film, and he was glad Rey enjoyed it.

That last thought made him wonder. If she like two of his less popular films, did she like any of his other films? In the top corner of the window, there’s a search box. Clicking on the search box, he types in his most recent movie, “Hard Mountain.” Surprising Ben, it pops up in the results. This movie was an action/adventure movie. Considering the last two films, he’s surprised she likes this one. He types another film he did where he was stuck on an island with a monster. Again, it pops up in the results. “Ace West” is next, a western film that did well in the box office. It’s also here. “Outer Faction”, check. As a matter of fact, Rey has all nine “Outer Faction” films, even the ones before he was an actor. Ben begins to quickly search for all the films he’s ever done within the time limit he has. Check, check, check. One movie after another, they’re all here.

Ben stops typing after his last search. It dawns on him that Rey has _all_ of his movies saved in her favorite movie folder. His eyes drift to the closed bathroom door as he tries to ponder that revelation. She knew who he was when he woke, but she never professed to be a fan of his, neither did she act like one. He appreciated her treating him like a normal human being, but now he wonders if there’s something he’s missing. Ben knows that some of his earlier movies are truly awful. There’s no way they could be favorites of hers.

The shower cuts off, shaking Ben from his wondering thoughts. He goes back to the main list of movies and clicks the first film he sees. Resting the laptop at the foot of the bed, he attempts to calm himself. He can’t seem to stop wondering the implications of Rey’s movie list. Before he has time think any further, the bathroom door swings open. Rey pads out wearing sleeping shorts and a t-shirt. Ben, once again, is stunned by her beauty. The more he gets to know her, the more beautiful she becomes. She’s towel drying her hair when she eyes him.

“Did you find something to watch?” she asks.

“Yeah. Just waiting on you,” he replies.

“Oh, you didn’t have to wait for me to start. I’ve seen all of them before,” Rey hangs her towel on the bathroom door and returns to bed. Eyeing Ben’s position, she carefully climbs into bed, careful not to touch him. He just watches as she maneuvers near him so that she can see the laptop. He wouldn’t mind an iota if she brushed up against him; he would even welcome it. She leans forward to grab the laptop and places it in her lap.

“Sorry, but I can’t see that far away,” she looks at the movie he selected and quickly looks to him with a wide grin. “Pride and Prejudice? Really?”

Ben looks at the laptop and realizes which movie he chose. He hadn’t paid attention at all when he picked it. He just wanted to get away from his films. He goes to tell her he meant to pick something else, but when he looks at Rey’s face again, she’s beaming with a huge smile. She seems delighted that he picked this movie. He couldn’t be the one to take that smile off of her face.

“Yeah, I like this movie,” Ben tells her, watching her smile curl even further in delight as he elaborates. “It’s not usually what I go for, but it’s totally underrated.”

“You got that right! Pride and Prejudice is one of my favorites. None of my friends liked it, so I always watched it alone,” Rey giggles as she starts the movie. She scoots closer to Ben so that she can slide the laptop partially onto his lap. They’re not touching, but there’s a meager few inches between their bodies. Rey doesn’t seem to mind and neither does Ben.

“Well, I’m happy to be your first,” he murmurs. Rey goes a little stiff beside him. “Your first Pride and Prejudice movie viewing partner, that is.” Rey relaxes after he clarifies.

“To the first of many!” Rey smiles at him as they settle in to watch the film.


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

Ben wakes the next morning to an odd sensation. There’s something warm beneath his face, like he’s laying on a heating pad. Slowly opening his eyes, he looks around the room. He’s facing the foot of the bed, which doesn’t seem right. Lifting his head slowly, he realizes why it’s so warm. His head was resting in Rey’s lap. As quietly as possible, he sits up from of her lap. Rey is leaning against the headboard, eyes shut peacefully. Her left hand is near her lap, like she was resting her hand against his head. He’s not sure how he ended up laying in her lap last night. He must have fallen asleep during the movie. The open laptop is sitting off to the other side of Rey. They must have both fallen asleep while watching the movie. He just stares at her for a moment. She looks so young and peaceful as she sleeps, but he knows she’ll probably be aching from sleeping in that position all night. Gently he touches her shoulder and gives her a little nudge.

“Rey,” he says softly to wake her. Her eyes flutter open after a second. There’s a brief look of confusion in her eyes. She relaxes when she finds Ben’s eyes on her. Ben likes that he can at least provide her some sort of comfort.

“I…” Ben clears his throat while looking around the bed, “well, I guess we fell asleep last night during the movie.”

“I guess I was more tired than I thought,” Rey mumbles as she sits straighter to stretch her torso. She winces when she turns her neck a particular way. “Sleeping sitting up was not a good idea.” Rey continues to rub at her neck to get the knot out.

Ben grimaces. “I think that may have been my fault. I woke up with my head in your lap. You probably couldn’t move all night. I’m really sorry about that,” Ben apologizes. Rey’s cheeks flush slightly at his confession.

“Oh, well that’s okay. I guess it’s bound to happen from time to time with us sharing a bed. I mean, you didn’t make me feel uncomfortable. Did I make you feel uncomfortable?” Rey asks him with worry in her voice.

“No. Rey, you’re the very opposite of uncomfortable. Please promise to tell me if I make you uncomfortable though. I don’t remember putting my head in your lap last night. It wasn’t intentional. I would hate to make you feel that way.”

_Mr. Bingley had just bent down on one knee to propose to Jane._ That was the exact moment Rey remembered when Ben’s head fell in her lap. He had been dozing on and off for some time because his shoulder was starting to lean heavily into hers. When his head finally plopped on her lap, she didn’t have the heart to move him. He just slept so peacefully, and she knew he needed it. _God, his hair was glorious._ When she was sure he was out for good, her hand drifted to his hair. She softly ran her fingers through his hair, admiring how soft and smooth it was. And he had the audacity to worry that he made her uncomfortable.

“I promise,” Rey smiles.

~~~~~~~~~~~

With a fully charged golfcart, they journey to scope out their prospective new home. Ben munches on a granola bar while he drives, and Rey gives him directions while keeping a careful watch for any danger. Rey has her machete in hand and both pistol and hatchet in holsters on each thigh. The jeans underneath protect her from rubbing and chaffing from the leather holsters. She wears a tank top and a light-weight unbuttoned collared shirt over. Ben admired her get-up and told her she really pulled off the “post-apocalypse” look. She had chuckled and told him to “stop it” while handing him a machete and knife of his own.

Their moods have turned serious now that they’re outside of the safety of their home. They’re both on high alert, knowing how quickly things can go wrong in an instance. Before long, she instructs Ben to turn onto a gravel road going into the woods. They travel another mile on a winding road before the road curves and comes to an end. At the end, there’s a brick wall with a thick wooden security gate reinforced with steel. There’s a security keypad for entry that’s long since lost power. Without power the electric locks are disabled, so Ben and Rey are able to push the gate open. The heavy gate rolls on metal tracks, allowing it to slide open along the brick wall.

They drive inside cautiously, surveying their surroundings for any danger. The house first catches Ben’s eyes. It’s a decent sized house, not too big for two people, but certainly larger than Rey’s home. The brick home looks well-made and sturdy.

“I doubt anyone’s still here, otherwise we’d know by now,” Rey mumbles, not taking her eyes off the home. “But we should look out for undead. Could be some trapped inside.”

Finding the door unlocked, they carefully make their way into the house. The furnishings are high-end and modern, but the house looks disheveled. Through the living room, into the kitchen they observe the open cabinets and empty pantry. There’s a rotting smell coming from the fridge, which they’ll have to address eventually. They find three bedrooms upstairs. The master bedroom is a mess; dresser drawers are thrown open and clothes thrown about the room. They must have left in a hurry. Rey feels relief that she doesn’t have to deal with some locked up, half dead zombie today…especially when it’s their home they’re trying to occupy. That would add an extra sting.

Satisfied with the house, they head outside to check out the land. Rey was correct that the plot of land was large and entirely surrounded by the brick wall. The forest lay beyond the brick wall, effectively secluding them from civilization and outsiders. There was even a garden from the previous owners that had long since overgrown. ‘ _It was a starting point,’_ Rey thought.

“This place has a lot of potential. It has good bones,” Rey states while staring out into the field.

“Yeah, but more importantly it’s safer. The location and walls will give us the security we need to really thrive out here,” Ben adds.

“I agree. We’ll need to do some work here to get it ready for move in. Our first priority should be that front gate.”

“You’re the boss,” Ben teases, elbowing her side playfully.

~~~~~~~~~~~

“I need to make a run to my hardware store for supplies,” Rey tells Ben as they leave the wooded home. “Are you comfortable doing that? If you’re not ready, I can drop you off at home first.”

Ben’s jaw tenses at the thought of running into undead or outsiders again. When he was on his own, he usually avoided people at all costs, unless he was really desperate. He had survived by hiding and a lot of luck. Unfortunately, that didn’t make him a very good fighter. Yeah, he was a big guy, and he had combat training for film roles. But using those skills in a real-life situation was a different story. Being quick and alert, seemed to be a more useful asset.

Then, the thought of Rey alone out there stops his doubts instantly. He can’t let her go alone. He knows that she is tough and doesn’t need him. But he’s here _now,_ and there is no reason for her to be making runs alone.

“Absolutely. I’m going with you,” he tells her with determination in his voice.

~~~~~~~~~~~

Rolling silently through the main street of downtown, they observe their eerily quiet surroundings. This small town has a small historic downtown area lasting only a few blocks. Lined up side-by-side, there are shops ranging from diners, historic homes converted to attorney’s offices, to a vintage record shop. Rey’s historic hardware shop lies among these shops. Rey bought it during foreclosure what seemed like so many years ago. The building was in shambles, but Rey was always good at fixing things. She poured her blood, sweat, and tears into repairing the store. She lived in the small living space on the second floor until her store started actually making a profit. Rey brought the store back to life and the locals had praised her for it.

They pull up quietly to the front of the store. Everything is quiet except for the crunching of dirt beneath the golfcart’s wheels. Rey’s store is the only store with boarded up windows and doors. They exit the golfcart, and Rey produces a key to open the padlock securing the front door. There’s a rattling of chains when the lock pops open and Rey swings the door open. Ben follows behind Rey as they enter the store.

“So this is it, huh?” Ben asks as he looks around the store. On the ride over, Rey told him the story about how she bought the place and fixed it up herself. He could tell this place means a lot to her.

“Yeah,” Rey sighs and looks around. “I usually keep it well stocked, but I’ve used a lot of supplies, so it’s getting to slim pickings now. I also have a small lumber yard in the back of the building. I use the wood sparingly but it’s also hard to haul wood with the golfcart. I have a trailer for the golfcart, but it’s still small for lumber. I’m afraid to use any other type of vehicle like a truck or a four-wheeler. I’m afraid the noise will attract the undead.”

“That makes sense. There are some hybrid cars that are pretty quiet, but then you have to worry about gas,” Ben admits.

“There might be some candy still left up front if you want to check. I ate all my favorite already,” Rey smiles as she tells him. “I’m just gonna grab a few things and we can go.”

At the front of the store, Ben peruses the candy options. Snagging two boxes of nerds and some gum, he turns back to find Rey. She walks up and down the aisles, knowing exactly where everything is. The store isn’t big, but the tall aisles are…or were jam-packed with tools and hardware. Rey is reaching up on her tip-toes for a specific part. When Ben moves forward to help her, she finally snags it. Ben backs away but notices something right before Rey comes back down. A tattoo. When her arms were reaching up, her shirt allowed barely a sliver of belly to show above her jeans. Just above her hipbone there’s a small ‘Outer Faction’ tattoo. After a few minutes, Rey returns to the front of the store.

“I’m ready. Is there anything you need?” she asks him.

“Just you,” he tells her with a sly look, making her blush wildly.


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

That night after dinner, they hammer out a plan and decide on a timeline for their move. Their goal is to be completely moved in by mid-November. Their days will be split between taking care of duties around the house, such as gardening, tending the animals, and canning produce. Other duties will include preparing the new home and moving supplies. Their days will vary depending on the weather, but they can’t neglect their current home until their new one is ready.

Hoping to get a good night’s rest, they go to bed early without watching a movie. However, Rey can barely sleep a wink with her racing mind. She’s nervous to start this new chapter with Ben, but she’s also excited. This is a big change for Rey. In all of her time dating Poe, she was adamant about living separately from him despite his pleas to move in together. Rey argued that she liked having her own space, but really she was terrified of being dependent on another person. Rey knew that the more you loved someone, the more you had to lose. And in Rey’s experience, you always lose.

Now, in the timespan of just a few days, Rey had allowed a practical stranger into her bed and then agreed to uproot her whole homestead to a new location. The irony of her situation is not lost on her.

The next morning bright and early, they pack some tools and building supplies in the trailer and drive to their new home outside of town. They don’t waste any time and get started right away. Ben unloads the heavy supplies, while Rey begins working on the front gate. After the last solar powered generator is unloaded, Ben lends Rey a hand. Next, they measure the first-floor windows for shutters. Rey plans to reuse the shutters in their current home. After a quick lunch break, they spend the rest of the afternoon building a new chicken coop near the back of the property. By the time they’re finished, the sun is touching the treetops, so they don’t have much time to get back home. Ben drives them home after Rey locks the newly installed gate lever with a padlock. The drive home is peacefully quiet. They are both exhausted from a full day of hard labor. Rey breaks the silence when they are nearly home.

“We got a lot done today…way more than I anticipated actually,” Rey tells him.

“Really? It feels like we have so much to do still,” Ben asks her, feeling like they’d barely scratched the surface compared to Rey’s current home.

“Yeah, really. It’s taken me two years to get my place to the state it’s in. It would have taken me all day to build that chicken coop all by myself. Together, we did it in one afternoon. I didn’t realize this would be so much quicker and easier with two people. There are some tasks that just go way quicker with two people.”

“Well, I’m just glad I can be useful for once,” Ben admits.

“Even if you couldn’t help physically, I’d still be glad you’re here,” Rey tells him honestly, “Just having someone to talk to is nice. This is the most I’ve talked to anyone in what feels like forever.”

They arrive at home and plug the golfcart in to charge in the solar powered generator. Rey feeds the goats and chickens, while Ben carefully gathers the eggs and brings them inside. He didn’t want to admit to Rey that he was afraid of getting pecked by Sally. So he braved the chicken coop to retrieve the eggs. Once inside, Ben insists that Rey go shower while he cooks scrambled eggs and toast. Relenting, Rey enjoys a quick but thorough shower while thinking about today’s progress. Ben had been extremely helpful today. He didn’t mind taking direction from her, which Rey found could be a problem for some men. He was willing to get dirty and learn new things. Rey feels confident that they’ll be ready to move into their new home ahead of schedule. It’s nice to share the load of work. Him cooking while she showers is a small luxury that she considers a win.

They scarf down their food side by side on the couch, then recline back, exhausted from today’s work. They sit quietly staring up at the ceiling for a beat when Rey breaks the silence.

“I didn’t always used to be this quiet and awkward,” Rey tells him solemnly, “I used to be bright, bubbly, and talkative…or at least that’s how my friends described me.”

“I don’t think you’re awkward,” Ben frowns, “You’re quiet, but I don’t mind. I like quiet. We’re all going through this shit, so it’s kind of a given that we’re gonna be a little fucked up on the other side. At least we survived, unlike our friends and family,” Ben stops talking, regretting that he brought up family.

“Yeah, I guess you’re right,” she says with a sigh.

“Though, I would like to see bubbly, talkative Rey sometime,” Ben looks at her with a grin, “How do I get that side of Rey to come out?” He grins widely at her.

“I dunno. It’s been a long time,” Rey thinks about what used to get her talking non-stop to the point that she annoyed her friends. “I guess we’d have to talk about something I really love. Something I’m passionate about.”

“Okay. Name something you love…something you’re passionate about,” Ben demands.

“Ummm,” she closes her eyes to think of a topic.

“How about ‘Outer Faction’?” he suggests, shocking Rey. She jerks her head to meet his eyes. He has a knowing smirk on his face.

“Why do you say that?” Rey asks nervously.

“Let’s just call it a hunch,” Ben shrugs his shoulders. Rey sags in defeat, knowing that somehow he knew her love for ‘Outer Faction.’

“What gave it away?” Rey asks deadpan.

“Well, it may have been that you have literally all nine Outer Faction movies on your laptop.”

“Oh. Yeah, I guess that’s true,” Rey blanches at the thought that she showed him to see her movie collection without considering the consequences. He was able to see all of her movies….more specifically all of the movies he’s starred in.

“Or maybe it was the stack of Outer Fiction books I saw on your dresser,” he adds.

“I…didn’t realize those were left out,” Rey stammers. There’s no way out of this now. Abort mission! Abort mission!

“Oooor maybe it was the adorable Outer Faction tattoo I spotted on your hip the other day,” Ben adds this last blow with a huge toothy grin.

“You saw that?” Rey covers her face with both hands, blushing wildly.

“Oh yeah. I saw it yesterday when we were in your store. Imagine my surprise when I found out my cute roommate whom I’ve been sharing a bed with is apparently a huge ‘Outer Faction’ fan. And for some reason she has neglected to tell me, the _main character_ in the newest trilogy.”

“Okay, hold up. You are _not_ the main character. You’re like second,” Rey argues, “Wait, did you just call me cute?” Rey asks surprised.

“Okay, okay, so maybe I’m not the main protagonist, but I _am_ the main antagonist. Still, a pretty major player I think. So excuse me if I find it a little odd that you didn’t tell me. And yes, I called you cute,” Rey’s heart drops at his last words. “but what I really meant was lovely.”

“Honestly, I didn’t want to freak you out. I didn’t want you to think I was some psycho fan. That’s the last thing you needed at the time,” Rey tells him but chooses not to remark on his ‘lovely’ comment which makes her heart turn mushy.

“Rey, I’m not freaked out,” Ben pauses for dramatic effect, “but I must admit, I was surprised to see that you have _all_ of my movies on your laptop. Like all of them…even the really bad ones.”

Now Rey’s skin goes from rose red to ghost white. She thinks she might be sick. So he did notice her interest in his films. He must be either really freaked out or truly curious about her taste in movies. But that was days ago that he saw her collection. If he’s still here now, he must be comfortable enough to stay with her…or desperate enough. Rey sits up to steady herself.

“Okay, look. I feel like I should to explain.”

“No, Rey. I’m fucking with you. You definitely do not need to explain or validate your interests in movies just because I’m in them,” Ben tells her.

“You say that, but your eyes are demanding an explanation.”

“No Rey-”

“I have loved ‘Outer Faction’ since I was a kid. I got this tattoo before your trilogy even came out, I swear,” Rey points to the tattoo beneath her shirt near her hip, “The first time I saw you was in ‘Outer Faction.’ I had never even heard of you before.”

“Gee thanks,” Ben picks at her.

“Shut up. I’m not done,” Rey quips back, “But I thought you were amazing in ‘Outer Faction.’ Like you blew the other actors in that film out of the water. You _made_ that trilogy.”

Rey reclines back against the couch again next to Ben, her gaze returning to the ceiling.

“Since you were so good in ‘Outer Faction,’ I watched the rest of your films. I think you’re a great actor. Truly.”

“Seriously, I’m flattered,” Ben laughs lightly, “but you really didn’t have to tell me all that. I just wanted to make you blush and squirm. It’s cute.”

“Don’t you mean lovely?” she jokes as she slaps his arm and gives him a playful shove, “I can’t believe you, you little shit!”

Ben responds in mock pain, grabbing his arm. “You wound me, oh lovely Rey!” he says in a theatrical voice, “I must retaliate.”

Before Rey can respond, Ben reaches over and digs his knuckles into her ribs. Rey yelps in surprise, which quickly turns into laughter. Rey twists and turns to escape his tickling fingers.

“Stop!” Rey begs him through her giggles when her attempts to get away are fruitless.

“Never again will you insult the infamous Kylo Ren.” His arms are now completely wrapped around her as he continues tickling her. “I’ll show you mercy if you beg.”

Rey bites her tongue feeling pride get the better of her. She was never one to back down from a fight, but she was going to pee herself if he didn’t quit soon.

“Mercy, please, please!” she begs.

“Mercy, what?” he asks.

“Please have mercy on me oh mighty Kylo Ren!” she wails with fits of laughter.

“Oh, alright,” Ben relents, relaxing his arms around her. They had somehow twisted on the couch during their struggle and were now laying sideways with both of their bodies draped over the couch. Rey had ended up with Ben’s arm underneath her back. She now laid next to him in the crook of his arm, his arm framing her side. They both caught their breath, sighing deeply as exhaustion took over them.


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9**

Rey wakes to the feeling of being wrapped around a furnace. The unfamiliar weight of something on her hip snaps her eyes open. She doesn’t move a muscle, but her eyes look around frantically. Then, she relaxes as she remembers that they fell asleep on the couch last night. Her relaxed state doesn’t last long when she takes in the position she’s in. She’s turned on her side facing Ben. Her arm and leg are both swung over Ben’s torso, her head in the crook of his shoulder. She’s full on embracing him like he’s a body pillow. Ben’s arm is wrapped around Rey with his hand resting on her hip. Heat radiates off of Ben, which is what must have woke Rey.

Besides the cramped couch they’re squeezed on, she’s quite comfortable in this position with Ben. She must admit that she slept quite well last night. She looks up to find that Ben is still asleep. Carefully sliding her arm and leg off of him, she props herself up on one elbow. Being so close to him gives her the opportunity to look over him. Her eyes graze his broad chest. He was looking healthier now that he was eating three meals a day, but he still had some weight to gain. Her eyes continue to follow the length of his body before she stops. Her eyes freeze to the spot where her leg had just been. Rey’s eyes widen as she takes in Ben’s erection beneath his pants. _Just…wow._ She stares in wonder at the sheer size of him. Rey had only ever had sex with Poe, and he was not even close to that size. She tried to imagine what it would be like to take a cock that big. Surprisingly, she felt herself getting wet at the thought of it.

“Good morning,” Rey hears Ben’s voice croaking as he wakes. Rey quickly diverts her gaze elsewhere then meets his eyes. With sleep still in his eyes, he grins widely at her. _He knows._ He knows she saw his erection… _and he doesn’t care_. He doesn’t even try to hide it.

“Good morning,” she replies with a wobbly voice. She sits up all the way, effectively turning her back to him.

“Hey,” she feels his fingers brush her shoulder blade softly. She doesn’t say anything but pauses for him to continue. “Are you okay?”

“Yeah, I just,” Rey hesitates not knowing what to say. Does she acknowledge the elephant in the room or avoid it? She honestly doesn’t know, though he doesn’t seem embarrassed by it.

“It can happen you know…in the mornings,” he acknowledges. _So, he is going to talk about it._ “I’m sorry if it makes you uncomfortable. I can certainly try to hide it next time, but you did wake up on top of me.” Ben’s grinning. She can tell before she even turns around to look at him.

“No, it’s fine. I’m fine. I was just surprised is all,” Rey assures him, “And you don’t have to hide it from me. That would kind of be hard to hide.”

Ben laughs unexpectedly. “Well, okay then. I’ll take that as a compliment.”

“I mean Jesus, Ben!” Rey teases him now that it’s not awkward anymore, “Look at you. You’re huge!” Rey jokes with him, but she purposely does _not_ look at his erection again.

“Hey, eyes up here lady. I’m more than just a big dick,” Ben teases her with an adorable smirk on his face. She grabs the nearest couch pillow and smacks him with it.

“Let’s get going,” she tells him and climbs off the couch.

~~~~~~~~~~~

It doesn’t take much to convince Ben to go with Rey on a supply run to the school. His option was either go with Rey to the school or stay behind while Rey went by herself. He’s starting to realize that in order to keep up with Rey, he’ll need to take more risks; basically the opposite of what he had been doing before he met her. Rey explains to him that while the supply runs were risky, the payoff is worth the risk. Everything they do now, will enable them to be self-sufficient in the future. That’s the long-term goal: to live off the land without going into town for supplies. While Ben hates it, he understands and has to admit that Rey is right as usual.

Looking for any signs of undead or outsiders, they cautiously lap around the school perimeter in the golfcart. It’s a medium-sized school in one large brick building with a courtyard in the center. In a town of this size, the elementary, middle, and high school are all combined in one. Without any detection of recent activity, they decide to attempt entering through the gym.

There’s a metal clunk sound as they open the heavy gym door. Try as you might, some doors just didn’t open quietly, especially those heavy metal doors like the ones in schools. They both wince at the sound, but it doesn’t seem to draw any unwanted attention. No undead come sprinting for them. There’s just an empty gym smelling like dirt and sweat. Rey knows they’ve lucked out so far, but they still weren’t out of the water yet. They unhurriedly make their way through the gym, looking in between bleachers for any signs of undead. Ben has his machete ready in his hand, but he has yet to actually use it since Rey had given it to him. Before they left, she gave him a quick tutorial on how to best swing and where to strike for a quick kill. He felt embarrassed that he didn’t even know they basics of survival. He watched in admiration, as she showed him the effective ways to kill an undead.

Now, he follows by her side, mirroring her actions on the other side of the gym. They eventually meet at the double doors on the other side that go into the school.

Once she’s sure the gym is clear, she turns to Ben and tells him her plan. “Okay, so this school is just a big square with a courtyard in the center. We can cover more ground quicker if we each go different ways. That’s, of course, assuming there’s not a horde of undead beyond these doors.”

“If you’re sure,” Ben doesn’t like it. Separating from Rey sounds like a bad idea to him. Sticking together is safer, but Rey is the expert. He trusts her. He would follow her lead.

She nods to him silently, and they approach the doors together. As gently as possible she pushes the heavy metal door open. This time, there is no sound. They both peek their heads through the entryway and look down the halls. Relieved that the hall is empty, they both enter the hallway and close the doors quietly. They look both ways, taking in the state of the hallway. There are books and papers scattered everywhere. There’s also dried blood on the floors, but it looks like it’s been there awhile.

“So we’re looking for anything we might be able to use: food, water, tools, locks, any supplies you think might be of use. If there are any big items, we can come back to get them once we’re sure the school is clear. Just because we don’t see any danger now, doesn’t mean there aren’t undead in here. I’ve seen them go dormant if they’re stuck in a place for too long. Any sound or smell can set them off again. Got it?” she asks.

“Uh sure,” Ben nods nervously. Noticing his apprehension, Rey grabs his hand and gives him a tight squeeze for reassurance.

“It’ll be okay. Just go slow and be careful. I’ll meet you on the other side,” she gives him one last smile and releases his hand. She turns in the opposite direction and disappears into the first classroom without a sound.

Apprehensively, Ben turns his back on her, focusing on the classrooms on his side. Luckily, the room is empty. He searches the room without finding anything of use. He doubts they will find any food or water, but maybe they could find some supplies to use in the new home. The next room is much of the same. The classroom is trashed with desks overturned and trash all over. He does find a five-gallon bucket that might be useful for gardening or feeding animals. He doesn’t really have any idea if it will be useful or not. For all he knows, Rey could have twenty buckets at home. He decides to bring it just in case and let Rey decide. When he looks back in her direction, she’s gone. She must have turned the corner already. He works his way in and out of classrooms, methodically going through each room without a sound. No sounds come from Rey’s direction, which he takes as a good sign.

He finally turns the first corner and heads down the next hallway. The hall is empty, but once again he notices dried blood on the once shiny floors. There’s an uneasy feeling in the pit of his stomach. _Something bad happened here_. As he works his way through the classrooms, he finally approaches the next turn. Very quietly he peeks around the corner and freezes in his spot.

Less than ten feet away, there’s a horde of undead roaming the hall. To Ben’s horror, most of the thirty or something undead appear to be children. He knows from experience that doesn’t make them any less lethal. The undead are roaming slowly, drifting from wall to wall. They look like they’re in a semi-dormant state like Rey mentioned or very close to it. Thankfully, they are walking in the other direction. _They’re walking toward Rey!_ Rey is just around the next corner. Ben reacts immediately.

Bucket forgotten, he turns around and sprints as fast as he can without make any noise. Turning the first corner, his shoes let out a small squeak. His heart is pumping wildly as he desperately tries to reach Rey before the undead do. He passes the gym doors where they entered, heading for the next hallway. When he turns the next hallway, Rey is nowhere to be found. At any moment the undead could come around the next corner. His pace slows down to a jog as he looks in each class that he passes. As he gets closer to the end of the hallway, he notes a janitor’s closet, which is the only closed door in the hallway. When he glances back down the hall, he sees Rey. She must have exited the last classroom without noticing him. All of her focus is on the next turn ahead of her. She is still cautious and quiet, but she also has no idea what’s ahead of her when she turns that corner. Ben picks up his pace as quietly as possible. He assumed that Rey would see him before he found her, but she has no idea he’s silently approaching behind her. At this point, he’s afraid of scaring her and making her scream.

Ben reaches her right as she goes to turn the corner. He wraps his hands around her mouth and waist while yanking her back from the corner. She immediately starts squirming and kicking at him to get out of his grasp.

“Shhh, it’s just me,” Ben dares to whisper, hoping he’s not too loud, but that it’s also enough to get through to Rey. She stops kicking and wiggling, but she’s still tense, not quite trusting him. Just then, they hear the moaning of the undead around the corner. _They were almost here._ Ben swiftly pulls Rey back to the closet he spotted. Luckily, the door is unlocked, and he pulls them inside, closing the door with a soft click just as the undead appear in the hallway.

“Shhh, okay? There’s a horde coming around that corner right now,” he whispers to her before he will agree to remove his hand from her mouth. Feeling the subtle nod of her head, he removes his hand slowly to feel her breathe deeply. Unsure if they were detected, both of their hands instantly move to press against closet door in front of them. They lean against the door with all of their weight, readying themselves for the assault of undead. The eerie silence is broken when they hear the soft sounds of shuffling feet and moaning. Waiting silently in the small closet, Ben stands behind Rey, caging her in as they press against the door. Hanging coats in the stuffy closet push against Ben’s back, causing him to push further into Rey. He stands flush against her, as they wait for the horde to pass. It seems they haven’t been detected by the undead, which remain in a semi-dormant state. They relax slightly, except for when the occasional undead bumps against the closet door as it passes.

Ben’s thoughts drift to Rey. Being so close to her allows him to smell her hair. He leans in slightly to get a better smell, hoping she’s too distracted to notice. If she does notice, she doesn’t let him know. Ben closes his eyes as he inhales deeply, taking in her scent. Unexpectedly, Ben’s body reacts to Rey’s closeness. Rey suddenly stills when she feels his obvious arousal pressed against her backside. Rey is shocked, not believing that Ben could be attracted to her in that way. They both stand there frozen, waiting for one another to make the next move.

Unable to bare the silence anymore, Ben starts to apologize. “Rey, I’m-”

He swallows the rest of his words with a moan when Rey instinctively pushes her ass back against his erection. She bites her lip to contain the moan in her throat. God, Rey knew it was wrong to do this here in this closet, but he felt so good behind her, and she could feel the slick between her thighs. She could barely resist the urge to turn and wrap her hand around his huge cock. Instead, she gives another testing push of her ass against his hard length to get an ounce of relief.

Ben gasps at her bold actions, his hand snapping to her hip. Pulling her more firmly back against him, he tilts his hips and bends his knees to rock further into her. This allows him further access to her center heat. Ben groans deeply but quietly at the feeling of her heat against him. Rey lets out a trembling whine as she goes up on her tiptoes to allow him more contact.

Hastily, Ben’s other hand on the door moves to Rey’s mouth, effectively muffling her whines. Only Rey’s hands remain holding the door now. “Don’t let go,” he whispers in her ear, his nose then trailing down the column of her neck. Feeling bolder, the hand on her hip slides down to press against her pubic bone right above her mound. He presses firmly against her there, which in return pulls her tighter against his cock. They both moan again at the new pleasure sparking between them and begin rocking in tandem together. The pleasure that sparks inside of Rey is indescribable.

He brushes his lips softly against her neck and the shell of her ear, never quite kissing her. Rey’s head tilts up to allow him easier access. His hand travels further down to cup her mound while grinding on her pubic bone with his palm. He can feel Rey moaning against his hand as she starts to rock harder against him. Ben’s hand moves in minute circles over her mound while keeping a firm pressure. The combined pleasure of his hand up front and his erection behind her causes her to shatter. Her mouth opens in a soundless moan, and her tongue reaches out to stroke Ben’s hand covering her mouth. Ben continues to rub her through her orgasm. “Rey,” Ben whispers harshly with shaky breaths in her ear as he goes over the edge. Ben gives two sharp final thrusts against her and stills.

His body heaves as he struggles to catch his breath. Ben had come in his pants like a teenager, and it was the hottest thing ever to happen to him in his life. He didn’t even feel embarrassed. They had both got each other off together like teenagers hiding in a school closet. He chuckles silently to himself, when he feels Rey’s tense body. The last thing she should be feeling right now is tense. He removes his hands from her body and returns them to the door. They both struggle to calm their breathing in order to hear outside. It sounds like the horde has passed the closet and are walking further down the hall. Ben knows that Rey won’t risk leaving until they’re entirely out of sight. They remain still and quiet for the next few minutes. Desperate to talk to Rey, but unwilling to risk it, he keeps his mouth clamped shut. He can almost feel the tension rolling off of Rey now. _Something’s not right_ , he thinks.

After the hall is silent for at least a solid five minutes, Rey goes to open the door. Slowly twisting the doorknob, she cracks the door and peeks out. Silently, Ben waits for her to check if the coast is clear. Suddenly, she reaches back and grabs his hand.

“Follow me,” she whispers without making eye contact. Dragging him by the hand, she darts out of the closet and down the hall. The undead are headed near the gym doors, so that exit is off limits. Rey dashes across the hall to another set of double doors and opens them swiftly. Luckily, they’re not locked, otherwise they’d have to find another exit. Ben is relieved to see the light of day as they exit the building. Recognizing the exterior of the school, he knows the golfcart is just around the corner where they left it. Rey still pulls Ben in a sprint to get back to the golfcart.

They speed back home in silence. Ben grinds his jaw as he tries to decipher her quietness. He senses her tension and doesn’t really know how to ask her what’s wrong, but he can’t just pretend what happened in the closet didn’t happen.

Eventually, they return back home empty handed. When they step out of the golfcart to go inside, Ben tries to grab her hand. “Rey,” he tries to stop her, but she jerks her hand away and turns to him.

“Stop,” she tells him in a pleading tone, clearly distressed. Her eyes are red-rimmed, and her breath is labored. She’s been struggling with some internal battle the whole ride home. “What happened in the closet, that shouldn’t have happened. It was a mistake.”

“A mistake?” Ben is taken aback by her words.

“I’m sorry. We got carried away, and I shouldn’t have let it go that far,” Rey tells him with tears in her eyes. Ben feels a sharp pain in his chest upon hearing her words. _She doesn’t really want him in that way?_

“Well, if that’s the way you feel-”

“It doesn’t matter how I feel!” Rey cries at him trying to get her point across, “This life has no room for that. I had my chance at love, and now it’s gone. I killed him. I don’t get a second chance. I don’t have room for love, and I don’t deserve it. And you,” she levels her eyes at him, “you’ve probably been with hundreds of women. I don’t want to be just another woman. I’m just convenient for you. If another woman comes along tomorrow, you’d be gone with her in an instant.”

Rey turns around and storms into the house. Collapsing on the porch, Ben stays outside, giving them both time to think. He feels heartbreak like he’s never felt before with anyone. He had dared to hope with Rey, something he never did with anyone. Now he remembers the familiar sting of rejection, only this time it’s so much worse. He goes through all the words Rey aimed at him…her rejection. He stops short when he realizes that she never said she didn’t want him or care for him. More specifically, she said she didn’t deserve a second chance at love. He had been so shocked by her rejection, that he almost didn’t catch the first few words she said. ‘It doesn’t matter how I feel,’ she had cried, and then given him all the reasons she couldn’t have him.

_That meant that she did want him!_ With a new surge of motivation, hope entered his heart again. Abruptly, he stands up to go into the house to find Rey, but he stops himself before his hand grabs the doorknob. Rey needs some time alone to process all of this. Ben hadn’t exactly planned the closet incident. In the short time he’d known Rey, he’s become captivated by her. His mind and his heart are both ready to take their relationship to the next level. But that doesn’t mean that Rey is ready. He’s certain that she has some sort of feelings for him. He’ll just have to be patient and wait for Rey to decide. He can wait. He _will_ wait.

Lingering on the porch, he decides to make good use of his time. Grabbing the feed bucket, he goes to the neighbor’s yard to tend to the animals. Taking his time with the animals, he pets the goats as they butt their heads against his legs for attention. He wants to give Rey the distance she needs. He knows that he can be a lot to handle and too intense at times. But when the sun finally begins to set, he surrenders and makes his way inside through the kitchen door.

Upon entering the kitchen and bolting the door for the night, he turns to find Rey rushing into the kitchen. Her eyes are bloodshot, and her hair is a mess. She doesn’t look any closer to having resolved her internal struggle.

“Ben!” Rey gasps, “You came back!” There are tears in her eyes, and Ben wants nothing more than to hold her and soothe her tears away. He doesn’t dare take a step in her direction.

“Of course I came back. Did you think that I wasn’t?” he asks her honestly. Was that why she was crying? _Because she thought he had left?_

“I wasn’t sure,” she stutters and wipes her eyes dry to compose herself, “You never came inside with me, and when I checked outside, you weren’t in the yard. The sun was starting to set, so I figured you decided to leave.”

“I was feeding the animals,” he clarifies.

“Oh,” Rey stammers, “thank you.”

“And I was giving you some time alone,” he adds.

“Oh,” she says again.

“And I would never leave you, Rey. Never,” he tells her truthfully, “I won’t leave you unless you tell me to go.”

“Really? Even though I just said all of those things?” Unknowingly, a single tear escapes down her cheek. “I feel awful about the way I handled that. I’m sorry Ben.”

“Really, Rey,” Ben pulls a chair around the dinette table so that instead of right across from each other, the chairs are perpendicular to each other, closer. He holds out the chair for Rey, gesturing for her to sit. When she sits down, he sits in the chair beside her and scoots close to her. Leaning over on his elbows, he grabs Rey’s hand softly in both of his hands.

“I thought a lot about what you said, Rey,” he looks down at their joined hands nervously. His throat bobs up and down as he gathers the courage to continue. When he’s ready, he meets her gaze, “And, I just want you to know that you do deserve love. You deserve it every day of your life. I know you feel guilty about what happened to Poe, but that’s not your fault. Look at me.” She looks at him openly, tears streaming down her cheeks. He only continues when he has her full attention. “It’s not your fault. You had to protect yourself. You did what you had to do to stay alive. Please don’t spend another day blaming yourself for his death.” He brings her hand to his lips for a chaste kiss before returning it to the table.

“And I know how my past life must make me seem like I’m some womanizer. But just know that’s not the case. I’m not saying I’m some saint, but I’m not like the media likes to speculate. Every model I ever had on my arm was put there by my publicist, Snoke. I never really knew any of them. We were friendly, but that’s it. I don’t,” he closes his eyes to choose his words carefully, “sleep around like the media implies. I’m actually quite introverted. It takes me a lot to open up and trust people. But with you I opened up almost immediately. You’ve been more honest and kinder to me than anyone I’ve ever known since I became famous.” One of his hands reaches up to tenderly brush her tears away. “So if your feelings for me are the same as mine, please don’t deny your feelings for those reasons.”

“I,” Rey starts but he cuts her off.

“You don’t have to give me an answer. You don’t owe me an explanation or anything. I just want you to know. You _do_ deserve love. And if you don’t feel that way about me, that’s okay. I still want to stay here with you. I’m not going anywhere.”

“Okay,” she mumbles on a sigh.

“I know this life we live now is not ideal. I know love is risky. I know the risk of losing it is great, but the reward...” Ben pauses to gather his thoughts, “Oh, the reward is so much greater. I’d spend a thousand days in agony just to spend one day in your arms. I believe it’s worth the risk. I believe you’re worth the risk.”


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10**

Over the next few weeks, Rey and Ben work on their new home as they continue getting to know each other. Day by day, they prepare the new home: adding shutters, heavy doors, and barbed wire to the brick wall. They continue tending the garden and canning everything they pick.

Little by little, Rey opens up to him. Every day, Ben discovers something new about her, and in return, he tells her everything about himself. He tells her about his crazy family and the brutal winters he suffered in upstate New York. He tells her how he loathed being famous and longed for his simple life before he became famous. He also tells her how isolated he felt; how lonely it was to not be able to meet new people. Despite the horrific effects of the outbreak, Ben was relieved to no longer feel the pressure of being under constant scrutiny by the media.

Rey tells Ben about her life growing up in the foster system. She spent her last three years of high school with her foster mom, Maz, who was amazing to Rey. Maz was the one who encouraged Rey to move across the country and purchase the decrepit hardware store. Maz had visited Rey twice since she moved to California. She told Ben how she was able to make a few friends in this small town; Finn, Rose, and Kaydel.

She explained how she met Poe when he came into her hardware store. Rey had rejected his attempts to ask her out, but he was relentless. Eventually, Rey relented and let him take her out. Poe had forced Rey out of her comfort zone all too often, which Rey figured was good for her. Poe knew she had issues with opening up and intimacy, but sometimes Rey felt like Poe pushed her too hard and too fast. It was why she put her foot down on them living together. She had tentatively agreed to their engagement, but Rey had no intentions of tying-the-knot anytime soon. Though she loved Poe in his own way, she was never wholeheartedly in love with him. But Rey figured with her troubled past, that this was as good as it gets, and she could live with that. Ben told Rey she deserved to be truly in love, the type you read about in romance novels. She chuckled and told him he was absurd.

In the evenings they played games after dinner. Ben beat her most of the time at chess, but Rey was a quick study and had taken him by surprise a few times with a checkmate. Ben figured out how to crank up the phonogram. Putting on an old jazz record and winding up the crank, they listened to the scratchy records as they relaxed on opposite ends of the couch, feet tangled as they read old books.

Some evenings, instead of games, they would watch movies on her laptop. They took turns picking out movies, and Ben picked on Rey often for her taste in film. Sometimes Rey would torture him by picking a movie he starred in. She knew he hated watching himself on screen. He would snicker at the screen while Rey would comment on his acting throughout the whole movie.

At night, Rey grew comfortable with Ben laying next to her. Every morning when Ben awoke, he noticed that Rey was just a little bit closer to him. Ben certainly didn’t mind, since he was drawn closer to her as well. Finally, one morning he awoke to find her pressed against his side with her with her hand pressed gently into his chest. She woke up shortly after him, also surprised to find herself so close to him. She blushed and went to remove her arm from him, but Ben stopped her. He quickly grasped her hand with his and returned it back to his chest. He rubbed his thumb soothingly against her hand as he smiled at her. They laid there in the comfort of their bed, basking in the morning sun.

From that day on, they always woke up in some sort of embrace. Whether it was Ben’s arms wrapped tightly around her, or Rey sprawled over Ben with her arms and legs, they somehow always ended up touching in their sleep. Eventually, Ben quit pretending that he didn’t want her close to him. After a particularly long day working on the new home, they collapsed in bed, exhausted.

“Come here,” Ben growled and grabbed Rey. He dragged her to him, his front pressed against her back as he wrapped his big arm around her. Rey was too tired to resist his cuddling. She sighed as she settled into his arms with a weary smile. “Goodnight,” he whispered into her ear.

Ben never pushed her for anything more. He knew for them to go any further, it would have to be on Rey’s terms. When/if she was ready, she would have to be the one to make the next move.


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please note the tags. Some violence and reference of noncon this chapter. Also, smut!

**Chapter 11**

As the weather gets cooler, they decide to drive to a gas station on the outskirts of town in search of supplies. Their new house in the woods is nearly ready, so they spend extra time scavenging before it gets too cold. Once the snow starts, they won’t be able to get far in the golfcart without a plow. The lone gas station is on the opposite side of town. Since it’s out of the way, it’s one of the few places Rey hasn’t scavenged yet. She figures it’s probably been picked dry by now, but it won’t hurt to try.

As they pull off of the two-lane highway up to the small store, they don’t see any vehicles. Cautiously, they approach the entrance, noting that all the glass doors and windows are busted out. The glass crunches under their feet as they step through the broken glass door.

“Don’t think we’ll find much here,” Ben tells her.

“I think you’re right. Let’s do a quick sweep and get out of here. This place gives me a bad feeling,” Rey replies as she looks down the lanes.

They separate, doing a quick search of the store, but finding little to offer. The gas station is along the highway, so it was probably raided long ago and cleaned out. People usually take the good food first. Then after they get desperate, they clean out the undesirable food…like beet juice. Which is exactly what Ben finds, two cans in fact. On a nearly bare aisle, he swipes two cans of beet juice and a crossword puzzle book. He finds Rey at the front counter looking for candy.

“Find anything?” he asks as he approaches her. She stands up from her bent position and faces him.

“No, nothing,” she says on an exhale. “How about you?”

“Some delicious beet juice and a crossword?” he wiggles them in his hand and grins.

She takes a step closer to him with words on the tip of her tongue when she suddenly freezes. Her gaze looks over Ben’s shoulder at the door behind him, shock and terror evident in her eyes. Her hands dig like claws into his chest as she visibly trembles. Ben knows automatically when he turns around it won’t be anything good. He’s never seen Rey so shaken before…even during a close encounter with an undead.

Slowly, he turns around and steps fully in front of Rey to protect her. Dread overwhelms him. Standing in the doorway are three men. They must have been on foot, otherwise they would have heard them pull up. They’re all older men of medium height and build. Two of the men are wielding shotguns, aimed directly at Ben’s chest. Rey’s shaky hands grip tightly around his waist as she cowers behind Ben. Clearly not interested in him, the men smirk as they try to look over Ben’s shoulder. Skipping false pleasantries, the men make their demands known.

“Give the girl over son,” the man in the middle says without an ounce of concern on his face. He thinks that gun is going to get him anything he wants. But Ben would be damned if he lets them take Rey.

“I don’t think so. You can take our food and our golfcart, but she stays with me,” Ben replies firmly.

One of the men points his shotgun and shoots it into the ceiling. The bang is loud and resonates in the building, leaving everyone’s ears ringing. Ben racks his brain to come up with a plan. Suddenly, he feels Rey slide her pistol into the back of his jeans. Ben could pull the pistol, but he doubts he is fast enough or as good a shot as the three men. _Rey probably has a plan_ , he thinks. She’ll want him to wait until the right moment.

“Hand her over now, and maybe we’ll let you live. I won’t say it again,” the man in the middle states after the ringing in their ears subsides. He points the shotgun at Ben’s head this time.

“Okay, okay, stop!” Rey shouts behind Ben. She darts out, standing in front of Ben.

“Rey, what are you doing? You’re not going anywhere,” Ben says to her in a lowered voice.

Ignoring Ben, she addresses the men, “Just let me say goodbye, please,” she begs, waiting for their response. They nod in agreement.

“Make it quick,” their leader spits.

Rey doesn’t waste any time and turns around to face Ben. With her back turned, she’s granted a little privacy from the men. She cups her hands around Ben’s face.

“What are you doing Rey?” Ben asks her, “You can’t go with them.”

“Ben, they’re going to kill you if I don’t. I’ve seen their type before. If you try to stop them, they’ll kill you and take me anyway,” she rubs her thumbs against his cheeks as tears slip from her eyes. “Ben, I need you to know that these last few weeks I’ve spent with you have been the best weeks of my life.” Ben stills as he stares at Rey in disbelief.

“I can’t lose you, Rey. I won’t,” Ben begs her.

“You don’t have a choice. It’s okay. Remember when you said you’d spend a thousand days in agony to spend one day with me?” Ben nods slightly. “Well, it goes both ways, except I got a little more time with you. Live, Ben. You can do it. I believe in you.”

Without warning, she leans forward and presses her lips against Ben’s. He inhales her sweet scent as she pushes her lips firmly on his, full of emotion. She pulls back suddenly, before he has time to even respond. With one last look into his eyes she whispers, “I love you.”

~~~~~~~~~~~

Ben watches as Rey walks to the group of men. Getting their first good look at her, they leer as she approaches. Panic sets in as Ben watches them disappear out the front door. He can’t let them leave. If they take the golfcart, it would be nearly impossible for him to find them. With mere seconds to respond, he wracks his brain for a plan. Abruptly, he remembers the gun Rey slipped in the waistband of his pants. He can’t risk shooting at them for fear of hitting Rey. But, if he could get them off the golfcart, that would at least slow them down.

He pulls the pistol from his pants and takes the safety off. He tries to remember the quick lesson Rey gave him at home. Unfortunately, the loud gun shots prevented him from doing any actual target practice. All he needs to do is take out a tire or two on the golfcart…or at least he hoped that would work to keep them in his vicinity. They’ll be much easier to track if they’re on foot.

Treading lightly to the front door, he peers out to the golfcart parked right outside. Swiftly, he darts back inside. Two of the men are getting in the front seat with Rey in the middle. The third stranger is facing the store standing guard with his shotgun at the ready. Ben knows he needs to wait for the right moment when the guard turns his back. If they get into a shootout, Ben is sure to lose. But, Ben feels resolute. He will die if it means Rey can live. There is no doubt in his mind.

He peeks again outside to find the guard climbing onto the rear facing bench in the back. Luckily, he’s distracted by Rey, his finger twirling in a loose strand of her hair. Ben seizes the opportunity and steps out with his pistol raised. He’s tempted to aim for the men, but he probably won’t be able to kill all three, and Rey is dangerously close to them. Even if he shoots one, the others will probably speed away, leaving him in the dust. Shoulders square, he aims the pistol down to the rear, right tire like Rey taught him. As the golfcart begins to drive away, there’s a loud “Pop!” The pistol fires, then Ben quickly aims for the left rear tire without waiting to see if the first shot hit. Another “Pop!” He then lifts his aim to the golfcart. The man on the rear bench stands up to aim his shotgun at him but Ben is quicker. He aims steadily and fires his weapon. The shot hits his chest as he tumbles over and off of the golfcart.

The whole time the golfcart is still moving, but the flat, rear tires have now torn off and it’s grinding on metal wheels. Sparks fly from the wheels as the golfcart grinds to a halt, unable to go any farther. Ben can see a struggle in the main cabin. Clearly Rey is fighting with one of the men. Ben recalls that one of the men doesn’t have a gun, but that doesn’t mean he’s unarmed. There’s a sharp yell from inside the main cabin, and a man falls out of the cart onto his back. Ben runs to him and quickly assesses the unarmed man on the ground. There’s a deep cut across his collarbone and he’s holding his hand over his right eye, blood gushing from beneath his hand. Rey had stabbed him in the eye probably using her pocketknife. _That’s my girl,_ Ben thinks. He’s not going anywhere right now.

Movement from the bushes near the highway shifts his attention. He looks into the now empty golfcart and follows the trail leading to the bushes into the woods. Rey must have dragged her feet because he can see long dirt trails where the grass is torn up. _Don’t give up Rey. Fight! I’m coming for you!_ Ben dashes into the woods, knowing they won’t be far ahead of him. He knows Rey will fight him tooth and nail, but the man is also armed. He treks under and around brush, following the signs of struggle in the dirt.

“Stop right there!” Ben hears as he clears a particularly difficult bunch of thorn bushes. He halts as he comes to a small clearing. Rey and the man stand maybe twenty feet away. An even thicker forest rests behind their backs. The man can’t continue dragging her through the thick, thorny bushes, so they’re forced to face each other.

“You take another step closer, and I’ll shoot her,” the man has a sawed-off shotgun awkwardly positioned under Rey’s chin as he stands behind her. His hand is tight in her hair as he jerks her head up high. Her hands are wrapped around his arm trying to pull the shotgun away. Ben can see Rey’s chest heaving with fear and exertion. When her eyes meet Ben’s, she steadies her breathing. He notices her nod slightly like she’s trying to tell him something. He doesn’t know what her plan is, but he’ll follow her lead. His pistol is pointed at the man, but he won’t dare shoot while the asshole practically uses Rey as a body shield.

Suddenly, Rey pushes back against the man with all of her body weight. His arms go up, struggling to regain his balance. Thick, thorny bushes are right behind them, and he’ll undoubtedly be stuck if he falls in. The sawed-off shotgun circles around in the air while he tries to upright himself. Rey moves a safe distance away from the stranger. Finally, he rights himself and tries to gather his bearings. But he’s too late. Ben pulls the trigger on the pistol two times, sending shots into the man’s chest. The man stumbles back, looking down at his chest. His shotgun tumbles to the ground and he falls back into the thicket of bushes.

Silence descends upon the forest as the ringing in their ears ceases. When he is sure the man is dead, he turns to find Rey. She is already sprinting toward him. Her body hits his with an ‘oomph’ as he catches her. Wrapping his arms tightly around her, she begins to sob. Rey feels an immense relief wash over her. _Ben came back for me._ She was certain she would never see him again, but he saved her. She wants to express her love and gratitude, but she is still in shock. He holds her silently as she lets everything out. Eventually, her sobs subside, and she relaxes her death grip around him. He pulls back to inspect her face, when he remembers the third man still in the street.

“The other guy is still out there. Let’s go,” he tells her quickly. He wraps his arm around her shoulders and guides her out of the woods. When they reach the highway, the man is nowhere to be found. There’s a bloody trail leading down the highway heading out of town.

“Well, he’s injured, and he’ll need to be finding shelter for the night. I don’t think we need to worry about him for now. Looks like he’s headed out of town anyway, but you never know. We’ll have to make sure he leaves town for good,” Ben states.

Rey silently nods. Without the adrenaline coursing through her veins anymore, she feels depleted of all her energy. They turn their attention to the golfcart. With the back tires gone, it’s in no condition to drive.

“I have spares at the house. We need to head home to make it before sunset though. It’s a long walk,” Rey tells him.

Switching the safety on the pistol, he secures it back in Rey’s holster. He finds Rey’s large pocketknife covered in blood on the asphalt. He wipes it off on his pants and hands it back to her. They grab their machetes from the golfcart. With all of their weapons in tow, they begin walking back into town. Rey is quiet for most of the long walk. As she comes out of shock, she processes everything that happened. There are words that needed to be said between them, but she needs time to gather those words.

~~~~~~~~~~~

When they arrive home, it’s late in the afternoon. They walked silently almost the entire time. Ben sensed that Rey needed space and time to think. He was sure she didn’t need him bombarding her with declarations of love so soon after she escaped near death.

Ben guides Rey inside and leads her straight to the shower. Her arms hang limp as she sits on the edge of the tub while Ben starts the shower for her. He turns to check on her when he can’t delay any longer.

“Can you handle it from here or do you want me to stay?” it isn’t a loaded question and Rey doesn’t interpret it that way.

“No, I’m fine. I’ll be okay,” Rey shakes her head to clear her wandering thoughts.

“Okay, call me if you need anything,” he tells her before leaving her alone in the bathroom.

Left alone with her thoughts, she begins the process of removing her clothes. She feels weak and shaky as she steps into the cold shower. The cold water washes away her sweat and dirt as she reflects on today’s events.

She was certain today would be her last day alive. She would rather die than let those men take her alive. Somehow or someway she would escape or die trying. In her final moments with Ben, she confessed her love for him. He deserved to know. After all of his kindness and patience, she wanted him to know how she truly felt. Now, in the aftermath, she wonders if it was the right thing to do. He hasn’t mentioned it, but she knows he’s only trying to give her the space that she needs. _He’s so good at that._ Ben seems to always know what she needs, whether it’s space or comfort.

After her shower, she slips into a clean pair of pajama shorts and t-shirt. She towel dries her hair and finds Ben in the kitchen. He’s standing over the gas stove stirring a pot of chicken noodle soup. He turns when he hears the scrape of the kitchen chair.

“I know you probably don’t have much of an appetite, but I promise, this will help you feel better,” he tells her when he sees her sitting down at the table. She nods silently in agreement.

He serves them both a bowl and brings it to the table. Reluctantly, Rey forces herself to eat, knowing it will help her feel better. The hot broth helps warm her chilled body from the cold shower. Ben was right. The soup sits heavy in her stomach and makes her feel more grounded. When they’re finished eating, Ben takes their bowls to the sink and cleans up.

“Do you wanna lay down or would you rather stay up awhile?” he asks her.

“I think I’ll just lay down,” Rey replies.

“Okay, you go ahead. I’ll lock up the house,” he tells her. He closes and locks the shutters on the kitchen window, then turns to the kitchen door. Rey quietly goes to the bedroom and climbs into her side of the bed.

Not long after, Ben joins her in the bedroom. After showering in the bathroom, he climbs into bed next to Rey. The both lay on their side facing each other. Rey stares at him with her arms curled up under her chin.

Unable to resist her, Ben tugs her shoulder toward him. “Come here,” he whispers, and they both scoot closer to the middle of the bed. He wraps his arm around her small frame and begins to stroke her back and shoulders. Rey buries her forehead into his chest and squeezes her eyes shut to blink back tears. She lets his caressing hand comfort her. Her breaths even out as she returns to a calm state.

“I thought I lost you,” Ben murmurs when he senses Rey’s calmness.

“Me too. But you saved me,” Rey whispers. She lifts her head up from his chest to stare at him, “Thank you…for everything. For saving me, for being kind, patient, and understanding.”

Ben can’t help himself. He wraps his arm tight around her and brings her flush against him in a tight embrace. He buries his face in her neck breathing deeply.

“I will always wait for you,” he sighs against her neck.

His breath tickles on her skin, causing her to whimper. Ben immediately notices and tries it again, blowing cool air onto her skin. This time, she arches her neck to the side just a little, allowing him better access without being so obvious. Ben takes the opportunity to lean in and place a chaste kiss right below her ear. He feels goosebumps appear along her neck. Moving lower, he kisses her again but not so chaste. He can feel her body shiver beside him, but not in fear. She makes no move to stop him, so he takes that as a good sign. His tongue darts out to taste her, ending it with a wet kiss.

“Is this okay?” he asks her. He feels Rey simply nod her head, allowing him to continue.

Ben continues to lay kisses up and down her throat, eliciting muffled whines from Rey. He uses his tongue and teeth to bring goosebumps to her skin. As he focuses on nibbling on her earlobe, he feels Rey begin to subtly grind her hips against him. He stutters to a stop at her actions. He didn’t plan to go that far with Rey tonight. She isn’t ready. He was just trying to bring her some sort of comfort and relaxation…show her how much he cared. Another idea forms in his head instead. He pulls back and looks her in the eyes. When she opens her eyes they are heavy and blown wide with lust.

“Rey, I want to make you feel good. Can I do that for you?” he asks her earnestly. She looks at him for a beat as if searching for her own answer. Somehow, she seems to find what she’s looking for. She nods her head silently. “Just tell me if you want me to stop,” he tells her.

He doesn’t wait another second and he begins laying kisses to her neck again. He works his way down her neck and to the curve of her shoulder. He keeps going down over her t-shirt. When he gets to her breasts, he lays an open mouth kiss over her left nipple. She gasps when his tongue meets her cloth covered nipple. He doesn’t use his hands, but instead focuses on using just his mouth. The wet fabric scratches deliciously over her nipple, eliciting more noises from her throat. He moves to the other breast and covers her nipple with his mouth. His tongue rubs against her taut nipple as she continues to writhe against him.

He pushes her shoulders back, so she lays flat against the bed. Moving his body to hover over her, he continues paying attention to her breasts. When her bucking hips become impossible to ignore, Ben moves further down her body. When he reaches her hips, his fingers curl into the waistband of her pajama shorts. He looks at her for confirmation. Her heavy lids meet his, and she gives him a firm nod. He sits up to quickly pull her shorts down and off. When she finally lays bare in front of him, he leans forward and gently spreads her legs. Surprisingly, she doesn’t hesitate and lets her legs fall open. Ben’s breath becomes labored as he takes in the sight of her. Her wet center calls to him. He lays down between her legs, breathing softly onto her wet center.

“Ben,” Rey cries in a plea.

He doesn’t make her wait. He slips his tongue between her folds stroking up and down, working her open. Rey moans at his first contact, which urges Ben on. He continues to stroke up to her clit without quite touching it. He traces circles around her opening, eliciting a rough gasp from her throat.

“Ah, Ben,” Rey moans his name this time in pleasure. Her taste is amazing. Like she’s meant for him. She is so wet his cock could slide right in. But this isn’t for him or his pleasure. This is for her. It’s all about her.

He reaches between her and brushes a single finger through her wetness. She gasps against the sensation and looks down at him. He gathers her wetness on his middle finger and returns to her opening. They make eye contact as he slowly pushes his finger inside of her. Rey’s jaw drops in pleasure, and her head tilts back on the pillow. Ben returns his tongue to tracing around her clit as his finger begins to massage inside of her.

A deep groan leaves Rey as she becomes more vocal. He can feel her insides tensing around him as she starts to shiver. Ben begins to flick his tongue lightly against her clit.

“Fuck, Ben. That…that feels really good,” Rey moans. Ben has never heard Rey talk like that before. It pushes him over the edge. He has to feel her come on him now.

“Come on, Rey,” He rasps out between licks, “Come on my tongue. I wanna feel it.” He buries his face back into her center with more effort. He pulls his finger out and returns it with two fingers. When he pushes back in this time, she cries as he stretches her. Once he’s coated in her slick, he pumps in and out faster, bringing her closer to the edge. She’s tilting her hips up and down now to meet his thrusting fingers. Ben growls around her, the vibrations directly reaching her clit.

Rey tilts her hips up once more and shatters on a soft cry. Ben watches her come from between her legs. Her chest rises rapidly, and her eyes are squeezed shut. His fingers and mouth don’t stop moving until he’s wrung every last drop of pleasure from her. She finally collapses back on the bed gasping for air.

Ben gently removes his fingers from her and moves up the bed beside her. Propping up on one elbow, looks over her to make sure she’s okay. When she opens her eyes dazedly, he gives her a tender smile. She gives him a shy smile back. Lifting his fingers, he sucks them into his mouth, halting Rey’s smile. Ben’s smile grows, as Rey’s face gets even more flushed. She reaches up and smacks him in the shoulder playfully. He chuckles and draws her to him in a warm embrace. She feels his erection push into her.

She looks down hesitantly, “Wh-what about you? Shall I-”

“No, tonight was just for you,” Ben smiles at her.

“Are you sure?” she asks openly.

“Rey, everything is perfect,” he reaches down and pulls the comforter over their bodies, “Let’s get some rest.”


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12**

The next morning Rey wakes feeling well rested. When she rolls over, Ben is nowhere to be found. She lifts her head to look around for any signs of a hasty departure but can find none. Rey hates that her first thought is that Ben left her. He has shown her time and time again that he’s not going anywhere. With a sigh, she relaxes back in bed thinking about the night prior. Rey had been unable to resist Ben’s offer to make her feel good. And boy was she thankful she let him. He made her purr like a fine-tuned machine. It was as if he knew her body for years. She’d never let a man put his mouth on her like that before. She just never felt comfortable enough with someone. Surprisingly, Rey didn’t feel awkward or hesitant when he skimmed his lips down her torso to find her wet center. It makes Rey’s heart pound just thinking about it.

Just then the smell of cooking eggs and toast hit’s her nose. She scrambles out of bed to get dressed. Deciding on a pair of jean shorts and a tank top, she forgoes a bra. She’s small enough that she doesn’t really need one. She decides today is the day she stops pushing Ben away. She’s already confessed her love for him. Last night had surely been a pleasant surprise, but that doesn’t mean he wants more. Sure, sex was on the menu, but that wasn’t enough for her. That doesn’t mean he loves her.

Dressed in her flimsiest daywear, she finds Ben in the kitchen setting the table.

“Good morning,“ Rey says in a low, soft voice.

Ben looks up from setting the table and freezers. His eyes roam down over her body. Rey gives a slight smirk as she notices Ben’s cheeks flush red. He clears his throat before he speaks.

“Good morning. How did you sleep?” he asks her in a raspy tone as he stands to his full height.

“I actually slept great,” Rey saunters over to him and lifts up on her tiptoes to plant a chaste kiss on his cheek. “Food smells great. Thank you for breakfast.” Rey sits down at the table and digs into her food.

Ben stands there as if shell-shocked. She notices him clenching his hands on his chair, before he pulls it out and takes a seat next to her. “You’re welcome,” he replies quietly. 

Rey eats slowly, making occasional eye contact with Ben. Every time their eyes meet, his cheeks turn red, and he looks back down to his food. She’s never seen Ben so flustered before. _Was her plan working? Or was she making him uncomfortable?_ Either way, she will get an answer soon. He looks about ready to burst...either in embarrassment, anger, lust, or any combination of those.

“I thought we could stay home today,” Ben clears his throat and clarifies further, “Our new home is basically ready. How do you feel about us starting to pack the shed? Or we could create a packing list of what stays and what goes.”

All thoughts of seduction forgotten, Rey’s eyes light up at his suggestion. “I think that’s a great idea!” Rey states excitedly. In a rush, Rey jumps up from the table, dumping her dish in the sink and heads to the bedroom. She returns shortly after with a notebook and pen in hand.

“I like your list idea. Let’s make a packing list for the shed. The new home already has a lot of tools, so we don’t need to bring everything,” she tells him. Opening the notebook, she turns to a blank page and starts their list.

~~~~~~~~~~~

Separating their list into categories, they start with garden tools. Together, they walk around outside taking an inventory of what they want to bring and leave behind. They agree to move the animals last since they will probably be the most difficult and riskiest. They also talk about making a trip to go get the golfcart later this week. 

Ben is holding the notepad and writing things that Rey rattles off to him. Several times Ben gets distracted while staring at Rey’s ass as she bends over the toolbox taking inventory. He can’t help but appreciate her toned legs and ass. She has to turn back when he doesn’t respond to her and catches him staring. Rey doesn’t say anything. She simply smiles at him and repeats the tool for him to write down on the list.

By the time they head inside, Ben has to hide his erection behind the notebook. He lets out a soft groan as he watches Rey’s hips sway in front of him. They reach the porch right as it begins to start pouring down rain. Once inside, Ben excuses himself to use the bathroom. He uses this time to get a control of himself and let his erection die down. Ben has never felt so riled up before about a woman like this. He feels like a teenager again. But he was a grown ass man, and he has real feelings for Rey. He will treat her with respect and wait until she comes to him. She has made it clear that she is slow at opening up in relationships. He has to respect that. He _will_ wait for her.

Meanwhile, Rey is in the kitchen wondering if she has any effect on Ben at all. For a moment she thought she caught him staring at her ass, but he has been nothing but polite and courteous. While she greatly appreciates his gentlemanliness, she’s ready to move their relationship to the next level. _If you can even call it a relationship._ After last night, she can’t think about anything else but being in his arms. Last night when he touched her, he set her body on fire. Rey has never felt such pleasure, even with Poe. Poe made her feel lukewarm, while Ben set her entire body aflame. But it isn’t just lust and desire she feels. She feels so much more with Ben. Rey thought she loved Poe, but now she realizes she never truly loved him. But Ben...oh how her heart pounds when she thinks of him. She knows without a doubt that she loves him. She would give up her life for him without question.

At that moment, Ben returns to the kitchen. Her back is turned away from him looking out the window as the rain pours down. Her hands are braced against the sink on both sides. She’s deep in thought when he finds her.

“Rey, is everything alright?” he asks in a worried tone. He senses her tension immediately. He can see it in the way she holds her shoulders leading down to her arms spread over the edges of the sink. Slowly, she turns around to face him. There’s a look of determination on her face as she takes slow steps toward him.

“I want to talk to you about last night,” she tells him cautiously. Recognition finally dawns on Ben. _She must be upset about what happened between them last night. He pushed her too far_ , he tells himself. _He fucked it all up._

“Rey, I’m sorry. I wanted to make you feel better after that hellish day you had. I thought you were okay with it; I thought you were ready, but clearly I was wrong. I’m so sorry. I’m sorry I pushed you too fast,” Ben blurts out in an attempt to salvage any chance he has left with her. He can see her anger coming off of her in waves. Her fists are clenched as she steps closer to him.

“I wasn’t ready?” Rey repeats his words in question, “What about what I told you in the store? Do my words mean nothing to you? Do you not feel the same way about me?” There. Rey told him her problem. The ball was in his field now.

“What? Of course your words matter!” Ben closes the distance between them until they are standing a foot apart. Standing closer now, she can see the passion and emotion in his eyes. “Rey, in case I haven’t made it glaringly obvious, I’m in love with you. I love you.” Ben breathes heavily, searching for any signs of a positive reaction from her.

“Then,” Rey is breathless. She searches his face for an explanation, an answer, anything to clue her in on what to do or say, “Then what are you waiting for?”

“I’m waiting for you,” Ben exclaims breathless.

They stare at each other for several intense seconds before Rey finally reacts. She snaps to Ben, grasping his face in her hands and reaching up to smash her lips to his. He reacts immediately, wrapping his arms around her back pressing her tightly against him. Rey feels overwhelmed with the sensation of him. His taste, his smell, and his touch enthrall her. She melts into his embrace as he tilts his head to deepen the kiss. She pulls back slightly to take a breath.

“Of course I love you, Rey. How could you think anything else? I’ve just been waiting for you to be ready,” Ben tells her then drops his head to pepper kisses along her jaw.

“I love you too, Ben,” Rey stutters in between his kisses, “More than I’ve ever loved anyone. I’ve never felt like this before.”

Ben pulls back to stare at her. His gaze is so intense she shudders. “It’s never felt like this for me either,” his deep voice vibrates around her, making her legs weak.

Without warning, Ben grabs her thighs and lifts her up. Her legs instinctively wrap around his waist and her hands grab onto his shoulders. His eyes don’t leave hers as he walks them to the bedroom.

When they enter the bedroom, he sets her down at the foot of the bed. His lips return to hers, but more slowly this time. They take the time to explore each other. His tongue teases her bottom lip, and Rey doesn’t hesitate to open her mouth to him. His tongue tentatively dips inside to taste her. Her tongue eagerly reaches out to meet his in equal measure. Rey runs her hands through his scalp and grips his hair. With a moan, she pulls him down and meets his lips with enthusiasm. After all of Rey’s talk of going slow, Ben is stunned by her eagerness.

His hands come up to caress her neck. Rubbing tiny circles into her skin, his hands work their way down to her shoulders. When he reaches the straps of her tank top, he pulls back to let his forehead rest against hers.

“May I?” he asks without opening his eyes, his breath puffing against hers.

“Mmhmm,” she simply tells him then presses her lips against his once more.

Rey has never felt more sure of anything. Her body shivers as he pulls the straps down. When her nipples are exposed to the cool air, she squeezes her eyes tighter and pushes her mouth deeper into his. Her shocked moan turns into pleasure when her hardened nipples brush against his shirt. Reluctantly, Ben pulls away to stare at her chest.

“Rey,” Ben growls in a low voice. She watches him as he stares at her tits. “You’re so damn beautiful,” Rey blushes at his compliment, but still feels completely exposed. Abruptly, she takes a small step back and reaches for his shirt to tug it up. He assists her by jerking the shirt up and over his head, discarding it on the floor. He quickly yanks her tank top off as well.

Rey stares at him in awe. She’s seen his body a thousand times on film…all buffed and oiled up just for the camera. But here in real life, she sees the real Ben, and he’s a thousand times better. He’s slimmer now, but still toned. There are new scars and bruises scattering his torso. He’s more real to her now than he ever was on screen. She wants Ben Solo, not Kylo Ren.

Reaching out with her arms, her fingertips brush lightly across his chest. She can feel him vibrating beneath her. Stepping forward, he brings them close again. While she explores his body, he reaches up and caresses her chest. His palm gently cups her breast while his thumb circles her nipple. She draws in a sharp breath of air at the sensation. Her eyes leave his chest to meet his eyes again. His pupils are fully dilated, and his mouth open in waiting. Bravely, Rey lets her hand trail down his chest over his abs. She maps out his body without breaking eye contact. He waits on bated breath to see what she’ll do next. Then, her hands skim through the trail of dark hair and stops as she reaches the top of his jeans.

“May I?” she asks, mimicking his question to her earlier. Her eyes are dark and unwavering. There’s no more hint of nervousness in her voice. Without words, Ben nods his head, giving her permission to proceed.

She begins to undo the top button on his jeans. Ben feels the strong urge to touch her and leans down without warning. His tongue touches her nipple, drawing a yelp from Rey. Her hands falter at his jeans as he massages her breasts and kisses her nipple with his wet, open mouth. Her yelp turns into a moan of pleasure.

“Mmm, Ben, that feels so good,” she praises him, encouraging him to continue. Rey closes her eyes as she feels a rush of wetness between her legs. Her center begins to throb and feel heavy with want.

As he devotes all of his attention to her breasts, she tries to focus on his pants. Finally, she pulls the zipper down on his jeans. Without hesitation, she gently reaches beneath the waist band of his boxers searching. It doesn’t take long for her hand to make contact with his erection. She palms his large erection, causing a groan from Ben, which vibrates around Rey’s nipple. She gasps at the sensation and her hips automatically rock toward Ben. The size and heat of Ben’s dick drives Rey to a level of desire she didn’t know was possible. She has no idea how he will fit inside of her, but she trusts Ben to make her feel good.

Her hand caresses him at his tip where she gathers his pre-come. The pre-come helps her to glide her hand back down to his base, but still it’s not enough. Yanking her hand away, she brings it to her mouth and licks her palm. Using her other hand, she pushes his boxers and jeans down around his hips to give her better access. Finally, his erection pops free and she returns her wet hand to his exposed erection.

“Mmm,” Ben growls and lets her nipple go with a pop, “Fuck Rey, that feels good. Yeah, just like that. Please don’t stop.”

He stands fully again and returns his mouth to hers. His hands drift down to her ass to give her a firm squeeze before they move around to the front. He unbuttons her shorts and pushes her shorts and underwear both down to the floor. Rey never stops her slow stroking of his dick. She does, however, use her other hand to push his jeans and boxers down completely until they’re pooled at his feet. They both step out of their respective garments, then he closes the gap between them. They stand there pressed against each other while Rey’s hand is in between them stroking his gorgeous cock. He just stares at her slack-jawed in awe of her. Unhurried, he leans down and places a single, sweet kiss on her lips. Then, he bends down to his knees, forcing Rey to release his erection.

“What are you-” Rey stops talking with a gasp. Without warning, Ben delves into her center with his mouth, rendering her speechless. Unlike last night, he’s not shy about it this time. His mouth pushes against her center, spreading her open. She widens her stance slightly to allow him better access. His tongue dips deeper, reaching her entrance. Her legs begin to shake as he brings her closer.

“Ben, ah,” she stutters out, “I can’t stay standing,” she tells him. She was truly afraid her knees would buckle, and she would fall on him. He was practically underneath her, grinding his mouth on her pussy. While it felt exquisite, she didn’t want to hurt him.

His hands grab her thighs, and he shifts her until she’s standing at the foot of the bed. Then his hands drift from her thighs up to her stomach, and he gives her a gentle push. She lets herself plop down onto the bed and lay back. Ben’s mouth only leaves her for a brief moment. Remaining on the floor, he props her leg over his shoulders. With a knee at each of his ears, he dives back in. Using one hand to open her up and the other to tease her entrance, his tongue focuses on her clit. Using soft strokes and then quick flicks, he brings her to the edge of orgasm. She’s so wet, her fluids are spread all over his chin. She writhes for him and pants his name repeatedly. Finally, he pushes a single finger inside of her core, and she done for. She shatters before his finger is even fully inside. She pants his name and tells him she’s coming. He then uses his finger to stroke her g-spot repeatedly, prolonging her orgasm.

The pleasure finally breaks, and she collapses back onto the bed. Ben removes his finger and kisses his way up her body deliberately. Finally, he reaches her mouth as his body rests on top of hers. His slow caress of her body with his lips, gave her enough time to recover and come back down to earth. She meets his eyes with a lazy smile and lifts up to kiss him.

Their kiss starts out slow, but soon becomes heated as the passion builds. Rey feels herself aching again at her center. But this time she wants him inside her. She can feel his erection laying heavy on her thigh. His subtle grunts and whines do nothing to hide his desire for her. Rey tilts her hips and rocks into him. Groaning, he rocks into her as well, bringing his erection closer to her core. He lifts up on his arms to look at her.

“Rey, do want to do this?” he asks her in a whisper.

“Yes, yes, please Been,” she begs him without question.

“Do I need a condom?” he asks, “I’m clean but-”

“I’m clean too. I have an IUD,” Rey stares at him, “I’m ready. Please make love to me.”

Ben leans back down to rejoin their lips. On his elbows, he cups her face in both hands. They both rock their hips, mimicking the action of joined bodies. Every time they rock, he pulls back just a little further, seeking her entrance. Finally, his erection slots into place at Rey’s entrance. They both rock together, allowing the slow, wet slide of his cock into her core. He’s big, really big, but her wetness eases the way. Rey gives a soft cry as he pushes into her fully, while Ben gasps her name in awe.

“Fuck, Rey, you feel amazing,” Ben stills once he’s fully inside of her. She can feel him quaking above her. Impatiently, Rey thrusts her hips to urge him to continue. “Ahh, Rey,” he pants in her ear before he grants her wish. He pulls out and thrusts back in, starting a gently in-and-out motion with his slow thrusts.

He kisses down her neck to her breasts. Rey whimpers as he caresses all of her sensitive places that drive her crazy. Using his lips, tongue, and teeth he touches her anywhere he can reach. He leaves marks across her skin as their pleasure builds. She bucks up into him harder and faster, urging him on.

“God, Rey,” he pants, staring at her with wet eyes, “You’re perfect, so fucking perfect. I’m not gonna last if you keep doing that.”

“Faster, Ben. I’m not gonna last either,” she tells him before reaching up to grab his hair and yanks him down to her. She arches her chest, bringing her breasts aligned with his face. He bends down to take her nipple into his mouth with a growl, while he begins thrusting into her harder and faster. Rey meets his hips thrust for thrust. She can feel the wet sounds between her legs as he pushes his cock into her sopping wet center.

“Come for me again love,” he says as he gives one particularly hard thrust. One of his hands drifts down to her mound to find her clit. He rubs his thumb over her hardened numb. “I’m gonna come Rey. Come with me. Please,” he pleads with her. She can feel his thrusts become erratic. She uses her hands to grip his ass and grind him to her.

She finally breaks, pleasure sparking behind her eyes, making her brain feel fuzzy and light. She can feel Ben fucking into her with abandon murmuring things to her like “Oh, God, I feel you coming” and “that’s it Rey, come for me.” Then lastly, she hears his final words. “I love you, Rey. I love you,” he says before he thrusts one final time. He stutters to a stop as a choked groan escapes his throat. Rey finally finds the strength to open her eyes just in time to watch him come undone. Stroking his arms, she finds him even more beautiful as he loses control.

After the final twitch of his cock, he collapses on top of her. He quickly rolls on his side, bringing her with him. He’s still inside of her when he pulls her close to capture her lips with a kiss. He falls asleep with smile on his face as she snores lightly beside him. It’s the first time she’s ever fallen asleep before him.

~~~~~~~~~~~

They wake a few hours later with grumbling stomachs. Ben carries Rey to the kitchen and sits her on the kitchen countertop. Wearing only Ben’s t-shirt, Rey perches on the counter and admires Ben walking around in just his boxers. She openly watches him make them a late lunch.

Leaning against the counter beside her, they eat in silence. They’re both full of nervous energy. They keep giving each other sly smiles until Ben's mischievous side gets the better of him. Setting their plates aside, he tugs her to the edge of the counter and steps between her legs. He kisses her without restraint and trails his mouth down her body. Pushing open her thighs further, he spreads his mouth over her bare cunt. His hands drifts up her shirt to palm her breasts as he devours her with his mouth. It doesn't take long for Rey to come undone. Panting his name on a soft cry, her body writhes in pleasure.

Ben quickly pulls her off the countertop and turns her around. She goes willingly as he leans her over the countertop. With his front pressed against her back, his hands stroke her ass and up her back beneath her shirt. She can feel his erection between her cheeks as he mouths at her neck. She arches her back, pushing her ass harder against him.

“Ben, I need you,” she begs him shamelessly.

In answer, Ben growls loudly and lines himself up with her entrance. She feels the head of his cock circle at her entrance, gathering her wetness. Then, without delay he thrusts inside to the hilt. This time it's hard and fast, both of them frantic to reach their peak. He grips her hips, pulling her back on him with each thrust. In this position the angle is different, allowing him to push deeper. Rey finds herself quickly approaching a second orgasm. As she gets closer, she begins to yelp with each thrust.

Swiftly, Ben's hands wrap around her waist and yanks her upright. His mouth falls upon her neck to lay wet kisses on the column of her throat. One hand snakes up to grip her breast, while the other reaches down to find her clit.

“God, Rey, you’re so fucking sexy,” Ben pants between his hard thrusts, “Can you come again? Come for me baby.”

The multiple sensations combined with his words sends her flying over the edge again. She can feel herself clenching down on him. She's lost in bliss, but she can distantly hear him grunting behind her as he throbs inside of her. He comes soon after, panting hot air in her ear. His arms wrap around her waist, squeezing her tightly against his front. Relaxing their bodies, he peppers her neck with kisses whispering, “I love you.”

They spend the rest of their evening like this. They make love with sweet and playful bouts of chatter in between. Eventually, they both drift off in exhaustion, without worries of zombies, the approaching winter, or intruding outsiders.


	13. Chapter 13

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TW: This chapter has zombie violence. If blood or weapons makes you uncomfortable, you may want to skip this one.

**Chapter 13**

Ben is jolted awake by a loud banging noise. He jerks up out of bed and looks around to see nothing but darkness. Rey is on the other side of the bed scrambling to pull on her clothes to investigate whatever woke them. 

“What is it?” Ben asks her with panic in his voice. 

“It’s either an outsider or the undead. Either way, it’s not good. Hurry!” she throws him his clothes from off the floor. 

Ben struggles to put on his jeans in the dead of night. The moonlight filtering through the shutters is the only light guiding him as he slips on his boots.

Beside him, Rey grabs a pistol and flashlight from underneath the bed. In her nightstand she grabs her machete and hatchet, securing them in her holster.

“There’s a machete on your side,” she tells him. Rey is all business as she prepares for an attack. Her heart pounds as her worst nightmares become true. Adrenaline courses through her body, making her react on auto pilot.

Ben finds the machete under the bed and shoves it through his belt loop. Retrieving another pistol from the bathroom, she hands it to Ben. 

“Don’t shoot it unless you absolutely have to. It will draw more of them,” she tells him and leads them to the kitchen. The loud banging continues, sporadically stopping and starting again.

Turning on the flashlight, she throws open the kitchen door with her pistol aimed outside. Ben is right beside her with his pistol drawn as well. He doesn’t know what he’s looking for, but he follows her lead. When they step outside, there are no obvious signs of a perimeter breach. They scan the yard and fence to find nothing amiss. Rey follows the source of the banging noise, treading carefully. She stops right beside the front gate of the house.

She shines the flashlight through the planks of wood. They can see the silhouette of a man but can't make out who it is. The lack of moaning and clawing noises tell her it's not an undead. Whoever it is stops there banging temporarily.

“Who are you? What do you want?” Rey shouts at the stranger in anger.

“Haha,” Rey hears a sinister laugh behind the fence, “Thought I'd find you here girl. You got the only armored house in this town. Did you think you could take my eye and get away with it?”

Rey looks to Ben with a pale expression, recognition dawning on their faces. It’s the man from the convenience store. He followed them into town. Or he came to town and figured out where they lived was more likely. The stranger admitted it himself. She should have known better. Outsiders would eventually find her home, sticking out like a sore thumb in the middle of town. This is all her fault.

“Look, what do you want?” Ben asks him. The stranger laughs with a garbled voice at Ben’s question.

“What do I want? I want you both dead,” he spits out at them and begins banging the fence again with some piece of wood. Ben thinks about shooting him, but he knows the gun will surely draw the undead if the banging hasn’t already. But if he can convince him to stop the racket now, there’s still a chance the undead won’t find them.

“We can give you food and water. But you have to stop,” Ben pleads with him again, hoping he’ll reconsider. Rey gives Ben a sharp look, in warning. Rey doesn’t think bargaining with him will work. This man is on a warpath and he wants them dead.

“It's too late for food and water! I'm as good as dead anyway. Infection’s already set in. If I'm going to die, you're going down with me!” he yells at them. In the distance, Ben can hear the beginning sounds of moaning from afar. He looks to Rey to find a look of alarm and fear on her face.

“They’re coming,” he tells her in a whisper and grabs her hand, “Let’s go.”

The stranger is manic, yelling and hollering while banging on the fence. He's leading the horde straight to Rey’s home. Ben pulls Rey back to the center of the yard by the house. Rey stands still, as if numb to what’s happening. Ben rests his hands on her shoulders to give her a gentle shake.

“Rey, love, I think we should go. That horde is coming through this fence soon,” he pleads with her.

Rey blinks slowly as she contemplates what to do. She spent two years in this homestead. All of her blood, sweat, and tears have gone into this home. If they leave, it will be destroyed by the horde.

“The fence…the fence will hold them,” Rey states, not quite believing herself. In the distance, they can hear the stranger’s laugh turn into screams as the undead reach him. Loud bangs begin from all around the front fence as the undead start to gather.

“Honey, I don't think it will. You said so yourself, that fence can't hold a horde of undead,” Ben begs her, “We should go now.”

“Go if you want. I…” Rey blinks back tears, “I think I’m gonna stay.”

Ben’s eyes fill with tears. “I’m not leaving you, not ever.” He wraps his arms tightly around her, pulling her into an embrace. Rey squeezes him back in return. She wishes there is some way to save him. He doesn't deserve this fate. They hold each other tightly as the fence begins to sway back and forth under the pressure of the undead.

“Rey, the fence won't hold. It’s gonna break any second now. Come with me now. Trust me.” He pleads with her one last time, “I love you. Let me save you.”

Unable to deny him any longer, she nods her head firmly. Releasing their embrace, he grabs her hand tightly and drags her into a run. They make it to the neighboring gate when they hear the front fence give way entirely.

“Don’t look back,” he tells her. He knows what they'll see if they look back: the sight of rotting flesh chasing after them. It's enough to send anyone into frozen shock. It’s the last thing she needs right now. They sprint through the neighbor’s yard, passing the goats and chickens knowing they’ll be the next meal for the undead. Passing the chickens to the front gate, Ben cracks the gate and peeks outside. He can see there are still undead drifting into Rey’s front yard through the broken fence.

“Wait,” he whispers. The undead still haven't entered the neighbor’s yard yet. They have to wait as long as they can to avoid being sighted by the undead at the front of Rey's house. Ben kisses Rey’s hand and forehead in the few sparing moments that they wait. Then, they hear the wood breaking at the neighbor’s gate. With one last look back, he sees undead pouring through the broken neighbor’s gate.

Without a second thought, he runs into the street, tugging Rey close behind him. They sprint in the opposite direction of the horde, but some are sure to follow. Finally, Rey seems to get over her initial shock and begins to run steadily beside him without being prompted by him. Only zombies that have fed recently should be strong enough to keep up pace with them at this point. When Rey chances a look behind them, there are surprisingly far more chasing them than she expects. Rey follows Ben as he turns left down a street, then takes a right down another. She's more focused on what’s behind them than what’s ahead. When Ben turns down another street, Rey realizes she's not familiar with the area. They quickly realize the street is a dead end. Beyond the street lies a thick forest.

“Fuck,” Ben pants out. “Should we try a house or go in there?” he motions to the dark forest ahead. They don’t have any time to waste, but Rey knows she doesn’t want to be cornered in a house.

“Let’s go,” she points to the forest apprehensively.

They head into the forest, disappearing beneath the thick brush. Rey follows close behind Ben as he weaves in and around thick brush. Some of the bushes have thorns, which catch on her arms now and again. Blood rises to the surface of her arms where scratches begin to form from the thorns. The scent of the fresh blood will only further aid the undead in tracking them.

Eventually the thick brush clears a little, and they are able to run faster through the trees. Growling and groaning resonates from behind them, confirming that they are still being hunted. Unfortunately, the thick brush doesn't deter the undead from tracking them.

“Keep going,” Ben murmurs to Rey as well as for himself. He has no direction or plan to where they are going. They are just running aimlessly through the forest. He feels as if he's failed Rey. Zombies can run for hours before they lose interest, and he has no idea when they will find shelter. They can't keep running forever. Their sprinting has now turned into a jog, worrying Rey. She chances a look behind them to discover three undead still in pursuit. While she's glad it's not a horde, three recently-fed undead are still very dangerous.

Rey feels a sense of hopelessness as she practically leaves a blood trail behind for them to scent. She’s putting Ben in danger. If she can just eliminate the three undead that are left, it will give them enough time to find shelter and bandage her wounds. Discreetly, she pulls out her machete in preparation for an attack. Rey has to take them out by herself. She doesn't want Ben to risk his life to save her. She’s farther behind, and she’s a skilled fighter. There's a good chance she could kill all three, and if she didn't, well, at least she did something to save Ben. “ _He’s worth it,”_ she thinks.

Without warning Ben, she turns around and aims her machete at an approaching undead. He sprints for her with his jaws snapping and arms outstretched. She swings her machete, but swings too soon, taking one arm off. The undead passes her now, as she dodges him, going straight for Ben.

“Ben, watch out!” she yells. He turns around just in time. Reacting quickly, he pulls out his machete and swings, effectively decapitating him. They don't even have enough time to watch it fall to the ground before the remaining two zombies attack.

They both turn toward the zombies. Rey shuffles back to put space between her and the approaching zombie, who is running at full speed. She dodges at the last moment, causing the zombie to slam headfirst into a tree. It's knocked off balance and stumbles to the ground. Without hesitating, Rey advances with a swing of her machete. She delivers three fatal blows, rendering it lifeless.

She turns to the sounds of struggle. She sees Ben struggling on the ground with the zombie on top of him. His machete is lodged in the zombie’s chest, effectively keeping the zombie from reaching him. She approaches and considers swinging her blade down on the zombie’s head, but she worries about injuring Ben right below. She needs to get the zombie off of Ben first. Using the heel of her foot, she shoves the zombie to the side. It rolls off of Ben and onto its back on the ground. Ben struggles to his feet, unable to retrieve his machete. Rey goes in for the final blow with her machete. Right before her machete connects with its head, the zombie rolls again. This causes Rey to miss and lose her balance. Her palm hits the ground keeping her from falling into the zombie. In the blink of an eye the zombie turns its head and sinks its teeth into her hand. Rey screams as a searing pain burns her hand. She jerks her hand out of its teeth and stands back up. Using her uninjured hand, she swings the machete down on the zombie's head. The zombie let's out one last gurgling growl before it dies.

Rey looks at her hand in a panicked state. The bite mark looks red and agitated as the infection sets in. It will only take minutes for her to turn. She looks to find Ben, but he’s already moving. _What is he doing?_ He lunges for her holster and snatches her hatchet.

“Hold out your arm!” he tells her.

Rey does as he says, unsure of what he plans to do. Try as he may, there’s no saving her now. She closes her eyes to keep the tears from falling. Suddenly, she hears a ‘whack’ sound and the thud of something falling to the ground. When she opens her eyes, her hand is no longer attached to her wrist. She’s shocked to find that Ben has cut off her hand. Then, the searing pain roars to life. She grips her bleeding arm to her chest in agony.

Ben drops the hatchet and runs to her. He rips off a portion of his flannel shirt and wraps it tightly around her open wound and arm. Rey is in too much shock to speak. She just stares at the place where her hand had once been.

“It’s okay, it’s okay,” he whispers. Rey wonders if he’s saying this to comfort her or himself. “I had to stop the infection from spreading. It’ll work. You’ll be okay, Rey.”

Rey isn't so sure that it will work, but they will know sure enough in a few minutes. If she feels herself beginning to wane, she would pull her pistol and take care of herself.

“We need to keep moving,” Rey grunts out through the pain, “More could still be following. They can smell my blood.”

“Okay,” Ben relents and wraps his arms around her.

They begin walking through the forest once again. They continue walking in the same direction, hoping it will lead them away from danger. The sun will be up in a few hours, and Ben hopes they’ll be able to rest then. Rey is losing blood, causing her to become weaker. Ben knows she'll need to stop soon. After several minutes pass, Rey decides she's in the clear and she won’t turn. They both breathe easier after that, but they’re still in a lot of danger.

As the sun begins to rise through the tree line, Rey feels as if she’s barely able to stand. Ben's arm is wrapped around her, offering her support. As the sun rises, they'll be able to find somewhere safe to rest. But Rey knows without medicine, the risk of her surviving infection is slim.

“I need to rest,” she finally tells him as they come to a clearing in the forest. She stops at the tree line and leans against a nearby tree.

“Okay, yeah. We should be okay here for a while, but Rey,” he looks at her with worry etched in his face, “we need to get you some medicine.”

Rey can see the despair in his face. She looks around them to find them completely surrounded by wilderness.

“Ben, I’m not going to get medicine,” Rey plops her bottom down near the trunk of the tree. She can barely hold her head up. Her vision is blurry and all she wants to do is lay down to rest. “I’m going to stay right here. You should go on without me.”

“What?” He rushes to her side in outrage. “No! I won’t!”

“If you find medicine along the way, you can bring it back for me.” Rey tells him with tears brimming her eyes, “And if you don’t, then keep going. Keep going Ben. Keep living for me Ben. Thank you for these wonderful weeks.”

Rey collapses back into the grass, no longer able to keep her body upright. Exhaustion takes over her body as her vision turns from blurry to black.


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter 14**

The sounds of kids’ laughter is the first clue that something isn’t right. Eyelids opening slowly, her gaze flits around a room in rapt interest. _She’s in an actual room._ Well, that’s an upgrade, considering she fell asleep in a forest bleeding half to death. There are sounds of kids laughing and birds chirping coming through an open window on the opposite wall. She slowly shifts in bed to actually look down at her body. She’s covered in a blanket, with her arms tucked neatly beside her. She lifts her injured arm to inspect it. Hand still missing, she sighs in disappointment. She hoped maybe it was all a bad nightmare, but at least her wound looks better. Wherever she is, they must have given her antibiotics to stop the spread of infection.

She looks across the small room from the bed where she’s laying. The small room houses the twin bed, a nightstand, and a chest by the window. There's not room for much else in the tight space. She notices her weapons are sitting on top of the chest against the wall. She's surprised they haven't been confiscated. She's not sure where she is, but she needs to determine if she’s safe.

Her thoughts then turned to Ben. She doubts that Ben left her in the forest alone. It was more likely that he carried her until he found someone who could help. Rey appreciates how lucky she is. She pushes back the blankets and places her feet firmly on the hardwood floor. She glances down and sees that her clothes have been changed. She's wearing navy sweatpants and a sweatshirt. Not a very flattering look, but it was comfortable and clean.

Carefully, she stands. After determining she won't fall over, she walks cautiously to the small window. She looks outside to discover a central courtyard surrounded by several rows of houses. There are people outside walking about. There are children playing in the courtyard. Rey can hardly believe her eyes. Ben must be out there somewhere. _She has to find him._

Slipping on some slippers beside her bed, she sneaks out of her room. She notes there are several closed doors down the narrow hallway. This must be an old home converted into a hospital of sorts. She finds a staircase and follows the rickety stairs down to the first floor. There is another narrow hallway with rooms on both sides. She passes a kitchen, noticing several women inside cooking. Without drawing attention to herself, she continues walking down the hall. The next room is a living room which has been fashioned into an office. The room is empty, so she walks curiously into the office.

There's a large front window offering her a view of the courtyard. Looking outside, she views groups of various people scattered about the courtyard. Then, she spots a tall figure with dark hair among a group of people. _It’s Ben!_ , she thinks excitedly. They’re walking across the courtyard at a leisurely pace. Rey can tell by his gait and posture that it’s him. She takes in the rest of the group and realizes he’s surrounded by women. Her face begins to flame red as she feels the sharp sting of jealousy. This is a foreign feeling to Rey. She’s never been close enough to someone to feel jealous of their affections toward others. For a second there she forgot that Ben was the famous Kylo Ren. Of course people would be interested in him. He told her he hated being famous, but right now he didn’t seem to mind it so much. She could see Ben talking to the group of women, smiles on their faces as they brushed their hands flirtatiously across his shoulders. Rey sees red. _Is this what he’s been doing while she’s been bed-ridden?_ She wants to go to him right now. Marching to the front door, she wraps her hand around the doorknob and begins to open it.

“Rey, going somewhere?” someone stops her in her tracks. She turns around to see an older man in the make-shift office. He's wearing khakis with a button-down shirt, his hands in his pockets as he casually leans against the desk. His hair and beard are mostly grey as he pulls out a chair for her to sit. “I’m Ackbar. If you want to take a seat, I can tell you about this place.” The gentle smile on his face tells Rey he means well. She decides he’s not a threat…yet.

Apprehensively, Rey approaches the chair. She doesn't sit down until he takes a seat at his desk first. His keen eyes notice her every move.

“There's nothing for you to worry about. You’re safe here. I promise,” he tells her, hoping to give her some comfort.

“Sorry, but I’ll be the judge of that. Who are you?” she asks in an accusing tone, “What happened?”

“I’m Ackbar and welcome to Rebel Alliance. I’m sort of the stand-in mayor here until we are ready for a proper election. Rebel Alliance is a community we’ve built for survivors…good people.”

Rey doesn’t say anything. She looks at him expectantly, waiting for him to continue talking.

“You arrived here two days ago with Ben. He was carrying you on a make-shift cot. I believe he was carrying you for over a day. When you arrived, the infection in your arm was starting to set in. Luckily the antibiotics were able to get rid of the infection. Our doctor has been redressing your wounds, but he said you’re healing nicely. You should make a full recovery.”

Rey is relieved to hear the good news about her hand, or lack thereof.

“And Ben? Is he alright?” she asks honestly.

“Ben? Oh yes, he seems quite well. He was worn out when he arrived, but we gave him a room and he’s up and about now,” he tells her without worry.

“I see,” Rey states as she contemplates her emotions. She’s relieved he’s okay, but she wants to see him for herself. Why isn’t he here with her? She can’t help but feel a hollowness in the pit of her stomach.

“He’s been spending time in your room, but our residents keep pulling him away. A lot of people are excited he’s here. I guess he used to be some famous actor or something like that,” he adds, “Anyway, people keep taking him away to show him all of our facilities. I think they’re trying to convince him to stay. We have a communal garden, weapons storage, and a food pantry. Everything is surrounded by our perimeter wall. No zombies or outsiders get in without our permission.” He smiles proudly. Rey can tell he’s tremendously proud of his little community.

“That’s wonderful,” Rey says with a false smile. This was all too new, too many people for her. “Thank you for your help. I really appreciate it.” And she is grateful. But why does she feel so alone? Everything feels different somehow. “Am I allowed to leave? Are you going to keep me here?” she asks afraid of what his answer will be.

“Good heavens no! You’re not a prisoner. You are free to come and go as you choose,” he tells her in shock at her question, as if it’s a ridiculous question.

“And Ben? Is he free to come and go too?” she just has to make sure. She wants to make sure he didn’t strike some bargain for her. She needs to make sure that he’s free and safe, no matter what happens to her.

“Yes, I assure you Ben is perfectly safe,” his eyes squint as he scrutinizes the young woman. “No one will hurt you here Rey. We’re good people.”

“That’s not been my experience with strangers since the outbreak,” Rey tells him honestly, “but I believe you. Thank you. I think I’ll head back up to my room to rest.”

“Okay, you do that. Do you want me to fetch Ben for you?” he asks, unsure of her relationship with Ben.

“No, that’s okay. Let him meet other people. He deserves it,” Rey replies before she goes back upstairs to her room.

Once in her room, she sits down on the trunk overlooking the window. This new place seems too good to be true. While she likes the idea of a community where she can belong, she’s not quite ready to trust new people just yet. She knows first-hand how monstrous people can act when there are no consequences to their actions. While she’s sure there are good people here, she's not ready to let her guard down. She feels overwhelmed by the new possibilities and changes. _Everything will be different now_ , she tells herself.

And what about Ben? Their relationship is so new and fragile. In a normal world, she would have never met Ben, and if by some chance she had, she would never have piqued his interest. Here in this community, Rebel Alliance, it offers some sense of normalcy. Of course it will never be the same as it was before, but in this bubble you can pretend. You can have a trade, a home, friends, and relationships. You have options. You don’t have to be with the one person you’re stuck with.

Her bottom lip quivers as the truth becomes clear to her. Here, Ben can pursue his interests. He can have a trade and excel at something he is passionate about. He doesn't have to learn how to homestead with her to survive. Here, Ben can meet other people, friends, and lovers. But she knows Ben by now. He has a kind heart, and he’s a man of his word. He promised to stick with her, and if she stays here, she knows he will. He will dutifully stay by her side because he promised her he would. She doesn't want that for him. After everything he’s been through, she doesn’t want to hold him to some promise he made to her under different circumstances. He deserves to be happy.

His current absence is somehow proof to her that he wants to be elsewhere. A voice in the back of her mind whispers “ _That’s not true. Go to him,”_ but she shrugs it off. She feels too ashamed and embarrassed to face him now. She’ll be fine. She always was. With a sense of clarity, she knows what she has to do.


	15. Chapter 15

**Chapter 15**

Finding her clothes in the bedroom trunk, she dresses quietly. Then, discovering an empty backpack in the closet, she stores her weapons to avoid drawing attention to herself. Tasks she once found easy are now more difficult with only one hand. Once her wound heals, she'll eventually be able to use her other limb again. Her mind wanders over the different attachments she can make for her missing limb. ‘ _Definitely a hook_ ,’ she thinks with a chuckle. It will take time, but she’s confident she’ll be able to figure it out. She sneaks down to the kitchen and is grateful to find it empty. The cupboards are filled with canned vegetables and meats. She snags several, enough for her trip back home. While she's looking through the lower cabinets, an older woman with grey hair walks in the kitchen.

“Oh, hello. Can I help you?” the woman asks in a surprised but friendly tone.

Rey snaps up, feeling guilty before replying, “I just woke up. I was placed in a room upstairs. I was hoping to find something to eat.” Rey flushes red. She feels guilty for taking advantage of these generous people. She thinks Ben will truly be happy here. He deserves to be with other kind people.

“Why don't you sit down here, and I'll fetch you something to eat,” the kind woman motions to the kitchen island. Rey slides into the stool next to the island and watches the woman prepare her a dish. The woman scoots a large bowl of chili in front of Rey, making her stomach growl in hunger. Rey doesn’t realize how hungry she is until just now.

“Thank you,” Rey says without looking up from her dish and begins shoveling the chili into her mouth. The woman leans against the kitchen counter and watches Rey eat, appreciating her appetite.

“It seems you've had quite the journey,” the woman tries to make small talk, but Rey isn’t interested in making friends. The last thing she needs right now is a reason to stay here.

“Mhmm,” Rey sounds between bites of chili without looking up.

“That backpack looks heavy,” the woman mentions, insinuating she knows what Rey is up to.

“It is,” Rey replies. She doesn’t bother denying it. Apparently, she can come and go as she pleases. _We’ll see if that’s really true._

“And the man you came with?” the woman asks. Rey’s spoon pauses halfway to her mouth. She thinks of an explanation that won’t take her an hour to explain.

“He’ll…he’ll be happier here,” she says decidedly.

“If you say so,” the woman turns around and opens a drawer. She rummages around for a few seconds, then returns to the kitchen island. Sliding a note pad and pen across the island she says, “I’ll get a message to him for after…if you’d like.”

Rey looks up at the woman silently. She considers the woman's offer. Ben deserves a goodbye from her at the very least. Dropping her spoon, she takes the pen and paper in hand. The woman takes Rey’s empty bowl to the kitchen sink to begin washing it, granting Rey a moment of privacy. She thinks for a moment before she jots down a short note. Signing her name, she folds it up in a tiny square. The woman finishes at the sink and faces Rey once again. She hands the kind woman her note. The woman delicately takes the small square paper and slips it into her pocket.

“Thank you,” Rey simply tells her. The woman nods silently.

~~~~~~~~~~~

The doctor's office is located in a small house right next door. Rey enters the home to find the town's only doctor organizing the medicine cabinet.

“Rey, I didn’t expect to see you up so soon. How wonderful!” the doctor exclaims with joy. “I’m Dr. Richards.” The young doctor springs up to shake Rey’s remaining hand while eyeing her wound.

“I’m Rey, but you already know that. Thank you for saving my life,” she tells him genuinely.

“My pleasure. It’s what I do,” he tells her with a look of delight on his face. Undoubtedly, he loves what he does.

“May I?” the doctor asks, nodding to Rey’s wound. She offers him her injured limb. He undresses the womb and inspects it carefully. Rey grimaces as she looks at the gnarly cut. The wound has since been sewn shut and looks much better. The doctor proceeds to clean the wound and show her how to redress it.

“In a few weeks, you’ll be all healed. I can take a look at it once a week or you can come to me for redressing.” He tells her kindly, “I don’t mind really.”

“About that?” she says timidly. Her comment gets his full attention. “I’ve decided not to stay. I was hoping you could give me some supplies to redress my wound.” Rey looks at the doctor hopefully. The doctor’s face turns worrisome.

“I see. That’s unfortunate,” the doctor tells her, sounding truly saddened, “I hope no one here did anything to make you leave so suddenly.”

No, no,” she reassures him, “nothing like that. You all have been so kind. It’s just…personal reasons.”

“I see,” he tells her, “Well, please know that you both are welcome back here anytime.”

Rey doesn't miss his use of the word “both,” implying that Ben is coming with her. She doesn't correct him. Dr. Richards goes to his supply cabinet and provides her with the pads, cleaning solution, and extra antibiotics. He also hands her a map to show her where Rebel Alliance is located. Now Rey can make her way back home using the map, but she can also make her way back to Rebel Alliance if need be. She profusely thanks the doctor and begins her journey.

~~~~~~~~~~~

Ben finally puts his foot down as the moon reaches high into the sky. He reluctantly agreed to dinner with the group of people that had paraded him around all day. To his surprise, they prepared a feast, including drinks and dessert after. As the night grew later, the remaining guests tried to persuade him to join them for a game of charades. Despite their persistent pleas, he declines stating he has to go check on Rey.

Now, finally alone, he walks swiftly back to the house where Rey is located. He was worried about Rey all day, but he was a guest in this small village. They were helping Rey, and he felt like he was at their mercy. So far they were kind, but that could change in an instant. He wanted to remain by Rey’s side, but the constant knocking on her door ultimately drew him away. He was worried people would become irritated with him if he didn’t grant their requests. He was also worried that Rey wouldn’t get proper rest when people kept barging into her room to find him. So, resentfully he agreed to walk with community members for a tour of their small village. This was familiar behavior to Ben. He was used to this type of behavior as a celebrity. But in a post-apocalyptic world celebrity really didn't matter. He only wished everyone else would see that. People continued to call him Kylo despite him repeatedly telling them to call him Ben.

Now, all thoughts of pleasing people is set aside as he practically runs back to Rey. He stops right before he enters her room. He doesn't want to wake her if she’s still sleeping. He knocks gently and waits a minute. When there’s no response, he lets himself silently in her room. To his surprise, her bed is empty. He notes that her sleeping clothes are folded neatly on the bed, and the clothes she arrived in are gone. Next, he sees that her weapons are missing from the trunk. His heart begins to pound as panic sets in. Clearly, she woke up at some point throughout the day. “ _He should have been here,”_ he chastises himself.

He doesn't have time for self-pity. He needs to find out where she is. “Maybe they moved her to another room,” he hopes in vain. Something deep down tells him that isn't the case. Rey woke up in a strange place all alone. He knows her. She most likely panicked and took off. Cursing himself again, he begins to formulate a list of places where she might have gone. Someone must have seen her today when she was awake. Knowing she hasn't eaten in days, he starts with the kitchen. When he enters the kitchen, the lights are off and it's silent. Everyone working there must be home for the night. The Mayor is gone for the day, but Ben doesn't know where he lives. But he does know where the doctor lives. The day they arrived he went with Mayor Akbar to fetch Dr. Richards from his home.

Deciding to start there, he makes the trek to the doctor’s home across the tiny village. The cool weather doesn't keep Ben from sweating profusely as he climbs up Dr. Richards front porch. Upon arrival, he wastes no time with gentle knocks and bangs on the doctor’s door. He hates to wake up the kind doctor at this hour in the night, but this was an emergency…or at least it was an emergency to Ben. Finally, Dr. Richards answers the door. He's dressed in matching pajamas with a surprised look on his face.

“Ben. What’s the matter? Is everything okay?” the doctor asks with concern.

“It’s Rey. I haven’t seen her all day. When I went to go check on her, she was gone. Did you see her? Did she come see you at all?” Ben blurts out in a panicked voice.

“You didn’t go with her?” the doctor asks.

“No. What are you talking about?” Ben replies in frustration. The doctor stares at Ben speechless. His next words in their grave tone almost confirm his fears.

“Ben, I think you should come in,” the doctor says in a solemn voice and backs away to let Ben through the door. Reluctantly, Ben follows him through and goes to the dining room table. He takes a seat in the chair nearest him and waits for the doctor. The doctor moves at a slow pace, seeming to draw out his next words. Dr. Richards stands at the other side of the table and rests his hands on the chair in front of him.

“I believe Rey left today,” the doctor says on a sigh. The blood drains from Ben’s face and he starts to feel nauseous before the doctor continues. “She stopped by my office today. I looked over her wound and redressed it. She asked for medical supplies…told me she decided not to stay. She said she was leaving for ‘personal reasons.’” The doctor had the decency to look truly troubled. He was one of the few people who seemed to genuinely care about Ben and Rey since they arrived.

Ben drops his head in his hands on the table. His lip quivers as he tries to wrap his head around Rey’s actions. “She said it was personal? Did she give you any other indication why she left?” Ben asks, desperate for more information.

“No. Honestly, I thought you both were leaving together. If I had any idea she was leaving alone, I would have advised against it,” he responds.

In resounding defeat, Ben stands and walks to the front door. He turns around to thank the doctor before he leaves.

“I'm sorry Ben. Maybe she'll come back,” the doctor gives Ben a hopeful smile. The doctor hands Ben a folded piece of paper before he says goodnight and closes the door. Ben quickly unfolds the paper to find a map. On the map someone has marked the location of Rebel Alliance.

~~~~~~~~~~~

Ben rushes back across town to his own room which is next to Rey’s. Without any time to waste, he grabs his few belongings and shoves them in a small bag over his shoulder. Exiting his room he treads quietly down the hallway to head for the kitchen. He needs a few bottles of water and cans of food to tie him over for the journey. Before he can take the first step down the stairs, someone opens a bedroom door behind him and calls his name. He halts in his tracks at the sound of an unfamiliar voice. When he turns around, he recognizes the older woman from the kitchen. She usually cooks the meals and helps out around the mayor's office. He eyes her suspiciously until he sees the small paper square in her hand. Leaning out of her bedroom door, she holds it out to him.

“A note. It’s from her,” the woman merely states. Ben's eyes flash with a glimmer of hope. All thoughts of keeping quiet abandoned, he rushes to the woman and takes the note. He eyes it before glancing back up at the older woman.

“Ben, don’t be stupid. Going out there at night is suicide. I assure you Rey has found shelter for the night. She can take care of herself. If you’re gonna follow her, head out in the morning with a full night’s rest.”

Ben nods silently at the woman's wise advice. He hates to admit it, but she's right. He’s not familiar with the area, and he won’t be able to see anything at night. He can set out in the morning and catch up to Rey. He thanks the woman kindly and goes back to his room. Once in his room, he drops his belongings and sits on his bed. He immediately unfolds the note given to him by the older woman.

> _Ben,_
> 
> _Thank you for everything. Thank you for getting me to safety. Thank you for saving my life multiple times. Thank you for your kindness, patience, laughter, and love. You’ve shown me my first sliver of happiness since this outbreak. You’ve reminded me what it was like to live and love. You shared your joy of life with me. You made the best out of an awful situation. And for that, I thank you. In this new place, you are free to be someone new. You can be who you want to be and be with who you want to be with. I’m not upset or sad. I’ll always look back on our time with fondness. I’m happy for you. You deserve to be happy._
> 
> _Love,_
> 
> _Rey_


	16. Chapter 16

**Chapter 16**

Rey doesn’t bother returning to the old house. It’s probably demolished and likely to still be surrounded by undead. After a grueling two and a half day hike, Rey finally arrives at the new homestead unscathed. She trekked slowly through the woods, careful not to reinjure her hand or stumble upon any undead. Sticking to the forest was the safest option, but it slowed down her journey. Rey was okay with that. It gave her time to think. But instead of thinking about the last few days, she focuses on what needs to get done at the new home. There’s so much work to complete.

Grateful for Ben's help, most of the work is finished at the new home. There are just a few finishing touches, and now there’s the issue of some supplies left behind at the old house. Not to mention the chickens and goats that were lost when the horde attacked. There's a chance some may have survived, but she’s doubtful she’ll be able to catch them at this point. Perhaps she can set live traps.

Luckily, she hid a key outside the wall to unlock the padlock to the front gate. Once she secures the gate behind her, she's relieved to find their new homestead just as they left it. Not _their_ homestead... _her_ homestead. After a quick survey of the land, she decides it's safe and goes inside the house. They already moved most of their furniture and belongings into the home, so she has most of her belongings. Careful to keep her wound dry, she takes a short shower in the master bedroom, relishing in the clean well-water. After a fresh pair of pajamas, she stumbles into bed and sleeps for several hours. She falls into a fitful sleep that doesn’t quite leave her fully rested. When she finally wakes, it's in the middle of the night and all is silent. Strangely enough, she's not worried about an attack. With the help of Ben, she feels confident that this home will hold out a horde of undead. Though it feels odd now, being alone. She's gotten used to sleeping with Ben. Missing his touch, she aches for the ghost of his lips along the shell of her ear and the caress of his fingers along her waist. Shaking her head of her memories, she climbs out of bed.

In the eerie quiet, she pads down to the kitchen to survey the pantry. She settles on a can of peaches, while pulling out ingredients to make a loaf of bread for tomorrow. She’s thankful for the dozen eggs she brought over before the attack, but she’ll need to get more chickens and goats if she plans to enjoy more eggs, milk, and butter. As she mindlessly kneads the dough, her mind turns to Ben. Despite her actions, she hopes Ben will forgive her and live a happy life. She doesn’t dwell on him too much or else she’ll burst into tears. Once she places the dough into the gas oven, she makes a list of to-do’s and goals. Her scavenger mind takes over, creating new projects for her to work on. By the time she finishes her list, she’s falling asleep at the table. She crawls back into bed eager to start this new chapter…or at least that’s what she tries to convince herself.

~~~~~~~~~~~

Ben says goodbye to Mayor Akbar before he departs on his journey. The mayor gave him well wishes and invited them back anytime. To Ben’s surprise, he even offered to trade goods with them. The kitchen staff supplied him with food for travel. He packed a small bag and left discreetly. He didn't want to draw any attention to him which might delay his departure further.

The journey proved to be more taxing than he anticipated. He had the map from the doctor, and he knew that Rey lived in the next small town over. But he wasn't familiar with the area like Rey, and his sense of direction left something to be desired. He cut through the forest instead of taking the main road. Somehow he got turned around, and he may have spent half a day walking in circles. Eventually, he made it back to the small town. Not familiar with the town, he wasted another half a day wandering around town until he finds somewhere familiar. When he finds the downtown area where Rey’s store is located, he is able to track his way back to her house.

Rey’s home is in shambles, and Ben knows immediately that Rey isn’t here. _“Of course she isn’t here. She probably when straight to the new home,”_ Ben rebukes himself. The perimeter fence is almost entirely torn down, as is the neighbor’s fence. Fortunately, there are no undead in sight. The front and back door to her home are busted down. The house has been trampled through by the undead. Almost everything in the house is annihilated. Luckily, Rey and Ben already moved most of the necessities to the new home. Ben spots a few surviving items Rey could make use of in the new home. He walks to the neighbor’s yard and is surprised to find two chickens have survived. He then peers through the neighbor’s house and sees the two female goats trapped inside. They must have run inside during the attack. They’re fat from eating the feed in the house, but they still seem excited to see him. Ben rubs his head in deliberation. He wants to bring something back to Rey that can be of some use. The lack of transportation was an issue if he was going to haul supplies with two goats the several miles out of town to the new homestead. It’s too late in the afternoon for him to go to her now, but he’s determined to reach her tomorrow. He needs to pack everything now to be ready to leave first thing in the morning…if she’ll have him.

~~~~~~~~~~~

After the final screw goes in, Rey carefully climbs down the ladder. She tries to avoid falling through the glass windows after all her hard work. Taking several steps back, she observes her finished project. Standing before her is a greenhouse made from old windows. Rey spent the previous night drawing up plans using the old glass windows they found on the property. She and Ben collected a few more from around town to add to the collection. With only one hand to work with, it had been a challenge. Eventually, she got the hang of it. When her wound fully heals, she will be able to add an attachment like a hook or some other tool. She’s pleased with herself for being able to put it together in less than a day. The 15x15 foot greenhouse will hopefully allow her to grow some produce during the winter months. It won’t be a full crop of course, but it will allow her to supplement her pantry supply.

The hodgepodge of windows stands proudly, not too close to the house to allow sun in from every direction. As she walks into the inside, she can feel the temperature rising as the sun beams down through the glass. The glass is mostly clear except for one random green pane of glass and a single stained-glass window. The stained-glass pane is hanging right above the door. Rey can already tell this greenhouse will become her little haven during the cold winter months. With plenty of time on her hands, she should be able to perfect the greenhouse into a fine-tuned machine for growing her plants.

Her lack of appetite helps her to focus on work. She's struggled to eat a full meal since she left Ben. As she hauls garden supplies into the greenhouse, she can't remember the last time she ate a full meal. Mindlessly, she uses her garden claw to break up the soil. The claw like tool allows her to easily turn up the dirt and prepare it for crops. She decides the potatoes will go in the soil while she’ll use stacked shelves for other plants. After she plows the soil, she plops down in the dirt with her notebook since she's already filthy. She wants to draft a plan for the shelves and an organization chart for the greenhouse. Ben was always good at this side of things; planning and brainstorming. He always had great ideas. He was very methodical and insightful in his planning. He took everything into consideration, which made the execution of projects so much quick and easy.

Rey and Ben worked off of each other's strengths and weaknesses. Rey thought that Ben complemented her in every way. And not just working on the homestead. The short time they spent together in the bedroom had convinced Rey they were made for each other. Their bodies moved synchronously like they had been together for years. It seemed like he knew all the ends and outs of her body, while she was able to make him moan helplessly under her hands.

She tries not to think about him, but her mind keeps wandering to him on its own accord. Though it's not just the way their bodies moved together that she thinks about. It was their conversations. The ease at which she could speak to him and be herself around him. He made her feel comfortable in her own body and home. He didn’t make her feel bad about her interests, like ‘ _Outer Faction’_ and her questionable taste in movies. She missed him telling her stories about his time as an actor, but even more about his time with his family. She had always longed for a family. His stories about his crazy family made her laugh until her belly ached. She misses him, she realizes. She still loves him…probably always will. Plain and simple.

Abandoning her half-finished plans, she tosses her pencil in the dirt. She’s unable to hold back the tears that suddenly well in her eyes. She hangs her head and watches her tears saturate the dirt below her. _“Maybe I made a mistake,”_ she tells herself, _“I’ve been so stupid.”_ Ben was the best thing that ever happened to her. She experienced just a sliver of happiness with him before they were ripped back to reality…and before she abandoned him. 

When she lifts her head, the tears blur her vision. She’s unable to make out the mirage-like object in the distance coming toward her. She looks up to the sky to blink her tears away. The next second she looks back and she sees him. _It’s Ben._

Pushing through the dirt with her one hand, Rey rushes to her feet. She stumbles the two steps to the doorway then waits for him at the entrance of the greenhouse. She cannot believe her eyes. Not unlike when she first met him, he is covered from head to toe and dirt. But this time he comes with gifts. Hoisted high on his back is a crammed backpack, and behind him he's pulling a wagon. When Rey glances behind him, she observes that the wagon is packed with supplies, and are those...are those goats?

“Ben?” she gasps when he stops a mere car-length away from her, unsure if he should come any closer.

He stares at her for a moment, breathing her in. He gazes at her unhurried as he takes in all her beauty. In his mind, he knows she may turn him away. This may be the last time he ever gets to look upon her. So, he takes his fill of her. Ben knows she will flourish here even missing a hand. She will flourish out here alone…even without him. She’s wearing blue jean coveralls with a lumpy yellow sweater underneath. Her hair is a mess and she’s covered in dirt. Her labored breaths in the cool Autumn air bring color flushing to her cheeks.

“I got your note,” Ben states solemnly. Ben knows he should be angry with her for leaving him and part of him is. But he can’t be mad at her. He loves her too much. He can’t help but feel terrible about how they left things. He should have been there when she woke up. People have abandoned Rey all of her life. This is her defense mechanism. When she doesn’t respond after a moment he adds, “Why didn’t you talk to me?”

Rey sighs and turns her head to look at the sun getting lower in the sky. She deliberates on her words, not feeling certain of anything that might come out of her mouth.

“I didn’t want you to try and stop me,” she tells him before looking at him again. He drops the handle to the wagon to approach her cautiously. When he’s a few feet away he retorts.

“Because you know me so well that you knew how I would have responded huh?” Ben asks her. Rey looks down at her feet, away from his intense stare.

“Yeah,” Rey mumbles in response. She gathers her courage to look at him again. “Ben you are not indebted to me. You don’t have to stay with me.” She tells him firmly.

“I’ll tell you what I would have done if you had told me that to my face,” Ben continues, ignoring her last remark, “I would have told you that that letter is horse shit.”

Rey gasps in bewilderment at his words. What does he mean by that? She can interpret that a dozen different ways if she tries. But his presence here makes his words a little easier to decipher. He’s face hovers closer to her now as he hunches over her. His eyes harbor some intense emotions that she tries to decode. Her chest heaves as he continues his speech.

“I would have told you that I don’t feel indebted to you. I didn’t ‘make the best out of an awful situation.’ I wasn’t with you out of obligation or lack of options,” he brings his hands up to cup her cheeks. His thumbs softly wipe the tears that trickle from her eyes. “I don’t want to be with anyone else. I don’t want to be someone new. I like the person that I am when I’m with you. I loved you then, and I love you now.”

He rests his forehead gently against hers as their tears fall freely. They stand in silence as the sun goes down and the temperature drops. Grasping his forearms, she eventually pulls away to look up at him.

“I’m sorry I left you Ben. I just wanted to give you the option. I wanted you to have the freedom to choose what you wanted,” she stutters with a cry, “But I love you. If you’ll have me…”

“I choose you. I’ll choose you every time,” he kisses her forehead then wraps his arms around her shoulders, embracing her tightly.

~~~~~~~~~~~

After releasing the goats in the field and putting the chickens in the coop, they find their way into the house. On the porch, they abandoned the wagon full of canned goods and tools that were left behind at the old house. She leads him directly upstairs to the master bedroom and into the bathroom. This bathroom is much larger and includes a large walk-in shower. She starts to walk away when he gently tugs her to a halt. She turns back to him with a questioning look.

“Stay?” he asks earnestly. Giving a shaky nod, she returns to him. With only one hand, she struggles to undo the clasps on her overalls when Ben stops her. He takes over for her, releasing overalls to let them fall to the floor. His hands graze up her sides lifting her sweater up and over her head.

Without words, she tugs on his shirt, indicating for him to get undressed. Turning to himself, he quickly tugs off his clothes, while Rey takes off her undergarments. They step into the shower, both shivering from the cold water. Grabbing the washcloth and soap, Ben swiftly scrubs his skin and washes his hair. Attempting to keep her injury dry, Rey turns her back to the water and dunks her head underneath. Soon, Ben turns his attention to her and begins to wash her body. His hands caress her skin, eliciting a different type of shiver from Rey. His focus then turns to her hair as he massages shampoo into her hair and scalp. Rey moans in pleasure as he thoroughly cleans her whole body, careful to keep her injury dry. His lips caress down the side of her neck, leaving soft kisses. Despite the cold water, Rey can feel his erection growing hard behind her.

Unable to wait any longer, she turns around and presses her lips to his. Immediately responding, his mouth opens and delves into hers. Ben is ravenous as he angles his head to dive deeper into her. Rey returns his kisses with just as much enthusiasm. Eventually, the cold water becomes unbearable, and Ben shuts off the shower taps. He wraps her in a big fluffy towel while wrapping one around his waist as well. Once they step out of the shower, Rey struggles to dry her hair and body with one hand. Abandoning his towel on the floor, he turns to her to help. His eyes are locked on hers as he wipes away water from her body with the towel. Rey can't help but let her eyes drift down his body when they land on his erection standing proudly at attention. A red flush appears on her cheeks, but Ben doesn't seem to mind. In fact, he seems quite amused. When her gaze returns to his, he grins and drops her towel.

Suddenly, he picks her up bridal-style and carries her to the bedroom. He deposits her gently on the bed, careful not to bump her injury. Laying right beside her propped on his elbow, he pulls her flush against his front. Laying on her back, she stares up at him as he hovers over her. He stares at her in awe at her beauty. No longer doubting his feelings for her, her hand reaches up to wrap around his neck. She pulls his face down to hers to capture his lips in a passionate kiss. Leaning into her, he moans at the pull of her lips. This time she is the one to deepen the kiss. She pulls his bottom lip between her teeth to open his mouth. Then, her tongue is pushing past his lips. Ben growls at her eagerness and places a hand on the side of her breast. His hand drifts around her breast circling closer and closer until he reaches her nipple. When his finger finally touches her nipple, she whines in pleasure. She continues to devour his mouth as his hands massage and caress her breasts. Rey pushes her chest into his hands repeatedly before he pulls away with an audible gasp.

“Rey,” he groans as he heaves in breaths, “Let me make love to you?”

As if it was ever a question, she replies immediately, “Yes, Ben. I want you. Please, make love to me now.” She reaches up again to kiss him. He kisses her as his hand drifts down to her hips. He strokes up her inner thighs until he reaches her center. When his fingers skim along her outer lips, he falters.

“Fuck, Rey. You’re soaking wet,” he pants in her ear then sucks on her lobe. Rey moans wordlessly and opens her legs further to him. He pushes his fingers between her folds and begins to stroke her. Rey scratches her nails down his rippling stomach until she reaches his trail of hair leading to his erection. She then ghosts her fingertips along his sensitive skin until she grasps the base of him. Moaning loudly, he presses his face into her neck. His lips and tongue glide along her neck biting and sucking at her skin.

“God, Ben. That feels amazing,” Rey puffs between her moans. She begins to rock her hips up, wanting his fingers deeper. Ben takes the hint and lowers his fingers to her entrance. He pushes two fingers inside of her with ease. Rey whines and gasps and the feeling of his thick fingers stroking her inner walls.

“Damn, Rey. You’re so wet for me. That’s so fucking hot.” Ben growls with unbridled lust in his voice. His fingers are stroking her with long, firm strokes, while his thumb circles her clit. Rey is ready for him to just fuck her now.

“Ben, Ben,” she pants, “I’m ready. I need you inside me now. Please Ben!” she begs him.

He pulls back to look at her and nods. He removes his fingers and positions himself between her thighs. His hands caress her thighs before he grips them to push them wider. When he finally settles on top of her, Rey shivers with excitement at the feeling of his erection against her thigh. He lays flush over her while resting his weight on his forearms on either side of her. He brushes his nose against hers and waits a moment before pushing forward.

“I love you,” he tells her simply before continuing.

Ben breathes in her exhale as he breaches her with the head of his cock. Her wetness eases the way for his slow push inside of her. When he’s fully seated inside of her, his mouth returns to hers. She fervently returns the kiss and her arms wrap around his back. After a moment, Rey tilts her hips, urging him to move. With shaky movements, Ben pulls out and begins to thrust into her at a steady rhythm. He leans up a little, allowing him access to her breasts. It offers a different angle and Ben pushes deeper. Rey cries at the new angle of his cock inside her.

“Faster, harder,” she commands him, and he doesn’t deny her. Picking up the pace, he thrusts his hips faster and harder. Ben can hear Rey’s wetness where they are connected, driving him further to the edge. He can feel her wet cunt quiver and pulse around him. He groans long and loud, throwing his head back in pleasure.

“Fuck, Rey. You feel so good. So tight and wet,” he groans before dropping back down close to her. He pulls her legs up higher, so he can keep plunging deep inside her wet center. “Your pussy feels so good wrapped around my cock. You get me close so fast. Are you gonna come for me? Come on my cock, baby.”

Like magic, Rey cries out as her cunt spasms. Her orgasm takes control of her body. Her back bows off the bed, her toes tingle, and her legs tense. Her cunt spasms and flutters around him, as he fucks her through the most intense orgasm of her life. She’s euphoric as her body finally starts to relax. She’s so wet that she can feel her fluids dripping down between her ass.

Ben pants against her ear as his thrusts get sloppy, his hips snapping to hers in desperation to reach his peak. Rey reaches down with her hand. She grabs his ass and tilts her hips up, drawing him deeper inside. “Rey, Rey,” he pants repeatedly as he fucks her with abandon. With three final deep thrusts, he stops with a groan, releasing inside of her. She feels his erection pulsating as he drains himself. They both heave to catch their breaths. Ben relaxes and languidly pumps his cum further inside of her as his cock softens. Eventually, he slips out of her, their combined fluids leaving behind a mess. He collapses beside her and immediately pulls her on top of him, wrapping his arms around her back.

“Ben, I’m a mess,” she tells him as she can feel the mess between her legs dripping.

“It’s our mess,” he sighs and kisses the top of her head, “And we’re doing that again later, so no point in cleaning up now.” He winks at her. She giggles and gives him a quick peck on the lips before resting her head on his chest. “I love you Ben,” she sighs into his chest.

“I love you Rey,” he rumbles, “Please don’t ever doubt that.”

“I won’t. I’m sorry I was being so stupid before. You’ve been nothing but wonderful to me, and I should have trusted you,” she admits with a guilty conscience, “I won’t leave you ever again. You’re it for me. I need you.”

“You’re it for me too,” he sighs happily and combs his fingers through her hair. Rey feels him tugging on her hand laying on his shoulder. “And just to make sure you don’t forget it,” Rey feels him slipping something metal onto her finger, “There. Now you’re mine.”

Rey jerks her head up to stare at her hand. On her finger, is a simple gold band in the shape of a branch with leaves surrounding it. The delicate band is beautiful, and Rey falls in love with it immediately. She looks to Ben with tears in her eyes. His gaze is warm but slightly nervous.

“Ben, are you serious?” Rey asks him openly.

“Yes Rey. If you’ll have me, I’d love to spend the rest of my life with you. I can’t really give you a real wedding with an officiant or anything. But, this was my mother’s ring. It’s the only thing I can give you to show you my commitment to you.”

“Ben, you’re here. The only thing I need is you here with me,” she twines their hands together and brings it to her lips. She kisses his hand then moves to kiss his lips again. “But yes, I’ll marry you.”

The end.


End file.
